Family Matters
by JediMaster-Jen
Summary: A late-night conversation and some unexpected discoveries set Alexis, Julian and the Davis/Jerome family on a path they never expected.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Family Matters

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**Summary:** A late-night conversation and some unexpected discoveries set Alexis, Julian and the Davis/Jerome family on a path they never expected.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own GH or the characters and I am certainly not making any money off of this.

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**Prologue**

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**Port Charles, New York**

**January 29, 2014**

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The choppiness of the water below matched Julian's turbulent emotions as he stood staring out at the oncoming storm. In the span of fifteen minutes, Alexis had bantered with him, backed away from him, kissed him and then run away from him.

_One step forward, two steps back_, he thought.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," a voice said from behind, breaking into his thoughts.

Julian smirked, but didn't turn around. "You trying to handle me, Carlos?"

Carlos Rivera chuckled as he stepped next to Julian and leaned against the railing overlooking the harbor.

"How's the shoulder?" Julian questioned.

Carlos shrugged. "Hurts a bit still. Nothing too bad. I was lucky it was only the shoulder. If Corinthos was a better shot, I'd be dead. What about you? Your face looks painful."

"My ribs hurt worse," Julian commented.

"Corinthos?"

Julian shook his head. "No, Lavery and Butler. Sonny was content to watch."

Carlos shook his head. "So, Lavery's gone to work for Corinthos? I wonder if the lovely PCPD Commissioner Devane is aware of that."

Julian cracked a devilish smile. "She is as of yesterday."

Carlos laughed. "You told her?"

Julian nodded as he motioned for Carlos to walk with him. "Sure did. I know it's not part of our agenda here, but I just couldn't help sticking it to Lavery. Never could stand that damned Scotsman."

"Well, you've never been one for sticking to an agenda," Carlos commented. "Have any of the feelers we put out come back since I've been out of commission?"

Julian nodded. "Santorelli called in yesterday. Says Corinthos has him and two others picking up a shipment in three days. He thinks it's big; drugs or human trafficking."

"The man is a pig," Carlos spat. "Makes me sick."

Julian nodded. "Yeah, me too. Hey, I need you to check into something else for me while we wait on Santorelli. Sam asked me to help her prove that Dr. Silas Clay is innocent of trying to murder his wife."

Carlos' eyes widened at those words. "His what? You daughter's boyfriend is married?"

Julian scowled. "Apparently. Her name is Nina Clay and she's been in a coma at some long-term care facility in the city for close to twenty years."

"What's the story behind that?" Carlos wondered out loud.

Julian sighed. "According to my daughter, Nina Clay came from a wealthy family who thought Silas was only with her for her money. They married after graduation and she paid his way through medical school. Few years after that, he had an affair with…"

Carlos shook his head as he finished the sentence. "Ava Jerome."

Julian nodded. "Yes, with my dear baby sister. Nina Clay found out, took some pills and has been in a coma and on a ventilator for two decades. Sam says Nina's family refuses to pull the plug and refuses to let Silas anywhere near her. They have always suspected foul play and now there is a Det. Nathan West in town going after Silas and he's starting to ask questions of Ava as well."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Sam seems convinced he's innocent," Julian began. "But I'm not so sure he is. Dig up everything you can on him and…and on Ava, too. I want to know every step either of them might have taken in Nina Clay's direction right before Dr. Clay discovered her unconscious in their apartment. Also, check into what Clay did right after his wife fell into the coma. Where did he go? Who did he talk to?"

Carlos nodded. "Sure thing, Boss. Anything else?"

"No, that's all for now," he told his lieutenant. "He'll be out of lockup in twenty-four hours if they don't charge him. Get me something by then."

Carlos walked away and Julian continued on his way.

/

**Davis Lakehouse**

/

Alexis had been sitting in front of a warm fire since she'd left Julian standing in Ava's suite hours before. Her best efforts to the contrary, all she could think about was Julian; the smoldering fire in his eyes, the feel of his hands on her, the taste of his lips, the brush of his tongue against hers. She'd spent the past hours trying to convince herself that it was nothing more than a moment of weakness that would not be felt again. She tried to convince herself that the sight of his bare chest didn't make her heart beat faster or that his hands framing her face didn't melt her resolve to stay away from him or that kissing him didn't erase every bit of anger in her.

She groaned out loud and ran her hands through her hair as she stood. She was almost to the kitchen when there was a knock on the front door. She turned and pulled it open and was stunned to see Julian.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

/

"May I come in?" Julian questioned softly.

Words seemed beyond her and before she realized what she was doing, Alexis had moved aside and let him enter her home. He walked down the two steps into the livingroom and Alexis didn't miss the fact that he winced in pain as he removed his coat.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she shut the door.

He turned around and gave her a small smile. "I didn't want to leave things the way we did earlier. I thought maybe we could…talk."

Alexis scoffed. "What is there to talk about?"

Julian sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. "Anything. Everything."

Though she was skeptical, she did have questions for him. She moved slowly to the chair and sat down across from him.

"Anything?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Yes, but before you start, I wanted to tell you that I met Lucas the other day."

Her reaction was what he expected. Her eyes widened and her mouth twisted in that cute way that made him want to grab her and kiss her.

"That must have been…interesting," she finally commented quietly.

Julian put his feet on the floor and leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs. "Why didn't you tell me who he was?"

Her eyes met his. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

He stared at her for several long moments before he again leaned back. "I suppose I can accept that."

"Why didn't you tell me and Sam who you were when you first figured it out?" Alexis demanded, deciding to take him at his word that they could talk about anything and everything.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. It wasn't the question he expected first, but it was one of the easier ones to answer.

"I wanted to," he began. "The moment I realized I was her father, I wanted to tell you both. I just couldn't find the right time, or the…the right words and then that damn gallery opening happened and…Alexis, I wanted so badly for you to know who I was, who I _really_ was. I wasn't lying that night in the gallery when I said I remembered you. It was the truth. I remember that night, us, together."

Alexis snickered then. "Sure, you remember one teenage girl from…"

She stopped when he stood up and walked around the table and knelt down in front of her, his hands taking hers and lacing their fingers together. He looked into her eyes and made sure she was seeing only him before he spoke again.

"It was late October, so it was cold," he said quietly. "When my friends and I walked into the bar, I saw you immediately. You were sitting on the end stool and you had on a black skirt and a light pink top with a thin sweater."

Alexis' mouth opened slightly, shock evident on her face.

Julian smiled and continued. "Your hair fell down your back in waves and framed your face so beautifully. I told my friends I'd be right back and I walked over to you. I asked you your name and you told me…"

"Natasha," she whispered, a sudden memory flooding her mind.

He smiled. "Yeah, Natasha. I offered to buy you a drink. You told me you were eighteen when I asked. I wasn't sure I believed you, but who was I to judge? We drank, we played pool and then we went for a walk outside."

"You gave me your jacket," Alexis said softly, more and more memories coming back as she listened to him tell her the story of their past.

Julian nodded. "Yeah. We walked and talked for almost an hour. You told me all about your family. I told you about mine."

"We ended up in your car," Alexis took over. "You turned on the heat and the radio."

"An Andy Gibb song was playing and you told me that…"

She cut him off. "That was my favorite song. It was called _I Just Want to be Your Everything._ It's still my favorite song."

Julian pulled one hand free and reached up and cupped her cheek. "I remember everything about that night. A few nights later, I went back to the bar hoping I might see you again."

"You did?" Alexis asked, surprised.

"Yes, I did," he said, nodding as he stood and pulled her up with him. "I kept going back for a couple of months because I just…I finally went to Briarton but no one would let me talk to you. One of your friends eventually told me that your uncle had come and had taken you back to Greece."

Alexis nodded as a few tears cascaded down her cheeks. Julian tenderly wiped them away with his thumbs.

"He made you leave because of me, didn't he?" Julian questioned. "You were pregnant so he took you home?"

Alexis turned and walked over to the mantle above the fireplace and stared at the photograph of Sam. After a few moments, she began to speak.

"I was caught sneaking back in after you dropped me off," she told him. "They watched me like a hawk after that. About six weeks later, I started feeling sick and went to the nurse. She asked me if I was pregnant. I knew it was possible so…it wasn't too long and I knew for sure. I begged her not to call my uncle, who turned out to be my father. She did anyway and when Mikkos arrived, he was…I'd never seen him so angry. He demanded that I tell him the name of the boy who had dishonored the Cassadine name."

She hadn't heard him come stand behind her. But she felt his breath on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her back against his body. She gave in and leaned back into his warmth.

"You didn't tell him?"

She shook her head. "No. Somehow I knew that if I told him, he would have…I think I told him I didn't know so often that I came to believe it myself."

"He obviously got over his anger though, right?" he asked. "He let you keep Sam."

Tears flowing anew, Alexis shook her head. "No. No, I…he made me…he took her from me right after…after she was born."

Julian was too stunned for words. "What…how…?"

Alexis managed a tiny chuckle. She turned around and saw the confusion in his expression. She grasped his hand and led him back to the couch. They both sat down and Alexis draped his arm over her shoulders and she leaned into him, her head on his shoulder.

"Mikkos wasn't about to send me back to Briarton," she began. "So, after we'd been back in Greece for a while, he told me he'd located a clinic, the Billmont Clinic, for unwed mothers in Maine. He would be sending me there until I was ready to give birth."

"Sam was born in Maine?" he wanted to know.

Alexis nodded. "Yes, she was. She was born May 11, 1980. It was Mother's Day that year. The midwives were the only ones in the birthing room with me. I spent just over twenty-one hours in labor with her."

Julian pulled her closer. "I wish I had been there with you."

Almost as if she didn't hear him, she continued. "When they placed her in my arms, I knew it had been worth it; Mikkos' wrath, all the morning sickness, the pain of labor. She was…she was so beautiful. I held her for all of five minutes before Mikkos came into the room and told me she was being put up for adoption."

Julian didn't think he had ever hated anyone as he hated Mikkos Cassadine in that moment. If the man wasn't already dead, he would have killed him with his bare hands.

"I sobbed when the midwife took her from my arms," Alexis whispered. "I knew I'd never see her again, and I didn't, not until Sam and Jason discovered the truth in 2006. Before that, I'd believed her to be dead."

Julian tensed. "Why did you think she was dead?"

"Years later, after college and law school, I tried to find her," she told him. "Turns out that Mikkos had…arranged just after Sam was born for it to appear she had died. He never wanted me to be able to find her, so…I thought my baby girl had died as an infant."

Julian closed his eyes against his own tears even as he felt Alexis crying in his embrace. He turned sideways on the couch and pulled her into his arms. He wanted nothing more than to be able to give her back all the years she had lost with their daughter. He wished with everything in him he'd been able to see her again, to get to her before her father had.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he whispered and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "If I had just…"

Alexis pulled back. "There was nothing you could have done. If my father had ever known your name, he'd have had you killed."

Julian stood then. He wiped the wetness from his own cheeks and walked back towards the mantle. He stood looking at the photographs; most were of Alexis and her daughters. There were a couple of Sam and Danny. But then he got to one that stopped his heart.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

/

With his hands shaking, Julian reached for the photograph of a young man with dark hair and eyes. It was like looking at his own face thirty years before. He slowly turned around and held the photo up.

"Who…who is this?" he asked haltingly.

Alexis gave him a sad smile. "His name was Zander. He was…well, he was a troubled young man who became like a son to me. I loved him like a son. I miss him."

Julian swallowed. "Was?"

She nodded. "He died almost…wow, almost ten years ago. I didn't realize it had been that long."

She noticed then that Julian was just staring at Zander's photograph and tears were gathering in his eyes. She stood and walked over to him and touched his arm.

"What is it?" she questioned. "Did you know Zander?"

He answered with a question of his own. "Do you remember what I…what I used to look like? When we first met?"

Alexis shrugged. "I'll be honest, not really. I remember your eyes, and your smile, but…not much else. Other than that, the only picture I've seen was from 1989 when you would have been, what… close to thirty?"

He handed her the frame and reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He took out an old, extremely worn photograph. He handed it to Alexis.

"In the front sitting down, those are my parents Victor and Monique," he told her. "My mother died when I was in college. My father…years later, right here in Port Charles. Next to my mother is my older sister, Olivia. She's dead now too. Behind her is my older brother Evan; also dead. Standing next to my father is me; age twenty-one. Remind you of anyone?"

Alexis nearly dropped the frame and the tiny picture when she set eyes on twenty-one-year old Julian. He was the spitting image of Zander Smith; or rather Zander was the spitting image of Julian at roughly the same age.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. "He's…you…he looks just like you."

Julian lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes. "When you were at that clinic and you had Sam, were you awake the entire time? Through your entire labor?"

"What does that…?"

"Just answer the question," he snapped, sorry immediately when he saw her flinch. "I'm sorry, I…I'm sorry."

Alexis thought hard. She didn't remember a lot about Sam's actual birth. She remembered being in so much pain, and then the next thing she remembered was holding her tiny little girl. She remembered being so sleepy; not tired from hours of labor, but as if she'd been taking sleeping pills.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I remember the moment she was born, and them handing her to me, but…everything after I went into labor is a…a blur until that moment."

Julian closed his eyes. "How old is…how old _would_ he have been now?"

Alexis thought for a moment, following Julian's thought process; yet unable to believe what he suspected might possibly be true.

"Zander was Sam's age," she told him. "He'd be in his thirties. Julian, how is it even possible that…?"

He put the old picture back in his wallet and took the frame and set it back on the mantle, giving one last glance at the familiar face.

"You told me how evil your family was," he said. "Your own father forced you to give away a baby you wanted. Is it so hard to believe that he might have hidden the fact that you had _two_ babies that day? That he and people at that clinic might have purposely made you believe that you only had Sam?"

Alexis sighed. "No, it's not hard to believe at all."

He watched her reach out and run a finger over Zander's smiling face. "He was such a sweet boy. God, Julian, he's my…_our_ son and he's…he's gone!"

Her sobs tore open his heart. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Her arms went around his shoulders and she buried her face against his neck. He felt her tears soaking the collar of his shirt. He rubbed soothing circles over her back, trying to calm her.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said softly. "Shh, calm down, baby. It'll be okay, I promise."

Beginning to calm, Alexis spoke softly. "He was such a mixed up kid when I met him. He was…"

Julian pulled back and took her face between his hands. "He was what?"

Alexis wiped her eyes and headed out the French doors that led to the back porch, overlooking the lake. It was cold out, but she didn't feel it. Julian followed.

"He was in lockup," she told him, not missing Julian's small smirk. "He'd been arrested for the murder of an undercover cop who had Zander pegged for selling drugs for a mobster named Joseph Sorel."

"Drugs?" he asked, the distaste evident on his face.

Alexis nodded. "I told you, he was a very mixed up young man. He spent his four years here in Port Charles in and out of trouble. He worked for Sonny for a while. He worked against Sonny with another mobster named Luis Alcazar."

"Ugh," Julian groaned out loud.

Alexis glanced at him. "Seeing a pattern?"

He scoffed. "I don't work _for_ people. They work for me."

Alexis chuckled. "Zander lived with me for a while. He wanted so badly to be the good person I, and Emily Quartermaine, believed he was, and could be. He tried _so_ hard. But, in the end…"

"What happened?" he questioned as he wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her against him.

"It was too much for him," Alexis remembered. "Emily had broken his heart. He kept getting mixed up with the wrong people and finally, he broke. He faked his death in a fire, and when Emily Quartermaine went to the cottage they shared when they were married, to say goodbye, she found Zander there. He wanted her to run away with him, but she…eventually, she convinced him to walk outside with her. The police had been called, and Emily had told them Zander was unarmed."

"Suicide by cop," Julian whispered, having figured out what she was going to tell him.

"Yes," she confirmed. "He pushed Emily away and pretended to reach for a gun. The police opened fire and Zander…he was…he died in Emily's arms."

Julian closed his eyes. "It's my fault. If I had been here, if I had…"

This time Alexis took his face in her hands and forced his eyes to meet hers. "If you had what? You didn't even know you had a child, children. You couldn't have stopped my father for taking our babies away. We were kids, too."

Julian was angry. "My father could have. He'd have stood toe to toe with Mikkos Cassadine and wiped him off the face of the planet. Our son wouldn't have ever been involved with drugs or murder or Joseph Sorel and sure as hell not Sonny Corinthos. He'd be _alive_ if I had just tried harder to get to you."

Alexis leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. "We can regret the past all we want, Julian. We can wish things had been different. We can look back and point out everything we did wrong. But the one thing we can't do is change it; any of it. We have to live with what we have now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he conceded.

Suddenly Alexis' eyes widened. "Oh, my…I completely forgot."

"Forgot what?" he asked, a bit panicked at her expression.

"Cameron Webber," she said softly.

Julian shook his head in confusion. "Who the hell is Cameron Webber?"

A smile as wide as he'd seen crossed her face then. "He's Elizabeth Webber's eldest son. Zander is…was his father. Cam is our…"

"Grandson," Julian finished happily.

He kissed Alexis then. A deep, life-affirming kiss that burnt her right down to her toes. They were still standing outside, lips caressing as hands began to wander when the front door to the lake house opened and Sam walked in with Danny in tow. She had a plain view of her parents on the back porch.

"What the hell is going on here?!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

/

Though startled by their daughter, Julian and Alexis pulled slowly out of their kiss. Julian leaned his forehead against hers and smiled.

"Oops," he whispered, making Alexis laugh.

"Hi, sweetheart," Alexis said after a moment.

They moved back into the house and closed the French doors behind them. Danny immediately saw Julian and toddled over to him and raised his arms to be picked up. Knowing how his daughter currently felt about him, he looked to her before he touched Danny at all.

Sam gave a small, barely noticeable nod and Julian wasted no time in reaching down and scooping the little boy into his arms.

"Hey, buddy, do you remember me?" he asked softly, his hand rubbing Danny's back. "You do, don't you?"

Danny rested his head on Julian's shoulder and closed his eyes. Sam and Alexis both watched as Julian pressed a tender kiss on the crown of Danny's head and continued to rub his back as he rocked gently back and forth. Danny was sound asleep within several minutes.

"Wow," Sam said, impressed. "How'd you do that?"

Julian met his daughter's eyes. "I guess he trusts me."

Sam looked at her mother. "What's going on?"

"Your…father and I have been chatting," Alexis explained.

Sam's raised her eyebrows. "Chatting? Really? Doesn't that usually involve words, not…tongues?"

"Yes, chatting, Samantha," Alexis insisted. "I'm glad you're here. We need to discuss some things with you. Will you stay, and listen?"

Sam could see how serious her mother had quickly become. "Let me just go put Danny down."

Julian gave his grandson one last kiss before he handed the boy to his mother. He watched her walk down the hallway before turning his attention back to Alexis.

"Did she and Zander know each other?" he asked, wondering if brother and sister had ever crossed paths.

Alexis shook her head. "No. I mean, not really. Sam mentioned seeing him in passing a few times, but they never really met."

"Okay, so which one of you is going to tell me what's going on?" Sam questioned as she suddenly walked back into the room.

She sat down in the chair across from her parents, who were sitting very close together on the couch.

Julian cleared his throat. "Well, I…your mother and I…"

"I thought I got the rambling thing from her," Sam quipped, making her father smirk.

Alexis sighed. "I went by Ava's this morning to talk to her about Silas and Julian…your father answered the door. We talked and he told me you'd asked for his help in clearing Silas. But we left the conversation…open-ended and he came here tonight to talk some more."

"Well, what I saw wasn't talking, it was kissing," Sam reminded them. "So, what kind of talk led to that? I thought you were still as angry with him as I am."

"I am angry, Sam," Alexis admitted, her eyes going briefly to Julian. "But, your father came here in good faith tonight and we discussed some things that…that we needed to talk about. One of those things was about the night you were conceived and everything that happened to me after."

"I didn't know Alexis didn't raise you," Julian told her. "As close as the two of you are, I never would have guessed."

Sam looked at her mother. "Did you tell him about…everything?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, I thought some of that should come from you. But, while talking, your father noticed the picture on the mantle of Zander."

Sam smiled a little. She knew how much Zander had meant to her mother. She knew his story and she could always see the sadness in her mother's eyes when she talked about the young man she'd loved as a son.

Sam was pulled from her thoughts when Julian reached out and handed her the same photo that he'd shown Alexis. Sam looked at it and then at her father.

"Why do you have a picture of Zander?" she wanted to know. "Who are these other people?"

"The other people are your grandparents, Victor and Monique, your Aunt Olivia and your Uncle Evan. They're all dead. The young man there next to Victor, that isn't Zander, that's me. I was twenty-one years old."

Sam immediately understood the implication. "Zander was…how is that even _possible_?"

"I don't know," Alexis answered. "I don't know what happened at that clinic when I gave birth to you. I remember the pain of being in labor and then the next thing I clearly recall is the midwife placing you in my arms. Everything between going into labor and holding you is…it's just not there."

"Did they…someone did something to you to make you forget that you had two children that day?" Sam questioned, a bit of disbelief and anger in her tone. "How can you not know?"

Alexis was getting upset, so Julian took over. "Sam, your mother doesn't know what happened. All we can surmise at this point is that your mother was given something and she was unconscious for a time before you were born. In that time, Zander was born and taken and your mother never even knew she'd had twins."

Sam stood and handed the faded picture back to Julian. She walked over to the mantle and picked up the picture frame. For the first time she actually looked at the photograph of Zander. She looked into his eyes and she realized it was like looking into her own. His forehead was the same as hers. They shared the same jawline.

Through sudden tears, she kissed her fingertips and touched them to Zander's smiling face before replacing the photograph between the ones of her and Kristina.

"Since we're talking, can I ask you a question?" she directed at Julian.

He nodded, knowing what was coming and having already made the decision that he was going to tell them both the truth if they asked the question.

"Why won't…why won't you donate…" Sam couldn't even get the question out.

Alexis and Julian both stood. Alexis went to their daughter and knelt in front of her and wrapped her in a tight hug while Julian walked over to his discarded coat. He reached inside and pulled out a few folded pieces of paper. When he got back to them, he knelt down as well, wincing as his ribs tightened.

He handed the papers to Sam. "Sam, I meant it every time I told you that I would do anything for you and Danny, _especially_ Danny. I would never do anything to jeopardize his chances of living a long, healthy life."

Sam and Alexis opened the papers together and Sam's gasp was audible. "When did…?"

Julian cupped her cheek in his hand. "The morning after the gallery."

Alexis pinned him with a glare. "These are from a WSB lab."

He shook his head as he stood. "The tests and the bone marrow aspiration were done at GH, but they were conducted by WSB personnel, not GH staff."

Sam read through the reports. It contained results of numerous tests as well as details about Julian's recent bone marrow aspiration procedure. One paper laid out the procedure for long-term banking of his bone marrow. But the name on top of the report is what caught her eye.

"WSB Agent…Julian Jerome," Sam read, not really believing the words as she read them out loud. "You're a…a WSB agent?"

They were both staring at him now. He ran a hand over his head and took a deep breath. He'd imagined so many times the moment when he would tell them both the truth. Now it was upon him and he had no idea where to begin.

"From the beginning," Alexis said, as if reading his mind.

She tugged on his arm and they sat back down. "Just start at the beginning."

"The details aren't important," Julian began. "Back in March of 1990, Duke Lavery and I were both…killed in a struggle over a gun. Only I didn't die; neither did Duke. Robert Scorpio was the PCPD Commissioner at the time. He found me, unconscious and barely breathing. Before he could do anything, the WSB stormed in. They forced Scorpio to keep quiet and never tell anyone that I was alive."

"So, you were barely alive, what happened then?" Sam questioned.

"The agents in charge of getting me out eventually took me to a WSB medical facility in Rome," he explained. "My condition was stabilized in Port Charles, then I was taken to a hospital in New York. I was unconscious for a few weeks. When I woke up, Sean Donely and some others were standing over me. I didn't know what was going on. I'd been shot four times and everything hurt. They offered me a deal, right there on the spot."

"What was the deal?" Alexis wondered.

"The WSB deals in one thing only," he stated. "Information. They wanted information that I had on rival bosses and…operations, deals, schedules. I could give them the info they wanted and be a free man with a new life and a new identity, or I could refuse and as soon as I was well enough to travel, I'd be brought back to Port Charles to stand trial for my crimes."

"You took the deal," Sam said with a nod.

Julian smiled. "Well, yeah, of course I did. I'm a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. I took their deal and ratted out more crime figures than you can imagine and happily let go of being Julian Jerome. It wasn't just a chance to be absolved of the crimes I'd committed, it was a chance to not have to be _myself_ anymore. I was tired; tired of being Julian Jerome, tired of the mob and tired of pretending that I…that I _liked_ it."

Now Sam was worried. "So, now that everyone knows that Julian Jer…that _you_ are alive, won't old enemies come…gunning for you?"

Julian had already decided that glossing anything over wasn't an option. So, he answered honestly.

"They might," he acquiesced. "It's been a long time but people in the business have long memories."

Alexis suddenly took his hand in hers and laced their fingers together. "How did you giving up information turn into you becoming a WSB agent yourself?"

He chuckled. "I'd been in Los Angeles for a couple of years building my publishing empire as Derek Wells when one day, out of the blue, Sean Donely walks into my office and says he has a proposition for me; told me that the information I'd given them had proved very useful and that more the two dozen crime figures had been busted and brought to justice. At first, I…I told him to get out. I didn't want anything more to do with the WSB. I'd paid my debt. I'd done what they asked and I just wanted to be left alone."

Alexis squeezed his hand. "What made you change your mind?"

Julian shrugged. "I didn't miss the criminal aspect of the business, but I missed the adrenaline rush it gave me. So, before I knew what I was doing, I was agreeing to Sean's offer. They flew me to Paris to the top WSB training facility. I spent more than a year there. Derek Wells was the perfect cover. Between working for the WSB and being a media mogul, I wasn't bored anymore."

"Is the WSB why you're back here in Port Charles?" Sam questioned next.

"Yes, it is," he answered. "Part of the WSB's original deal with me included the stipulation that I never try to restart my…criminal operations and that I never return to Port Charles. I had intended to honor both. I'd spent years working mostly covert ops and counter-terrorism with the WSB. They have a division that deals with international organized crime, but I'd never been allowed to…well, for obvious reasons I'd never been allowed near those missions."

"Until now," Alexis commented. "Right? That's why you're here."

Julian nodded. "Yeah. About a year ago, my bosses came to me and told me that they were shifting my team to…"

"Your team?" Sam blurted. "You have a team?"

Julian laughed at her expression. "Sure do. The WSB put me in charge of my own team about fourteen years ago. Anyway, about a year ago, my bosses came and told me they were shifting my team to the organized crime unit and that our main objective was to bring down Sonny Corinthos."

Sam smirked, one identical to her father's. "Of course, you jumped at the chance to come back to Port Charles."

Julian heard the accusation in her voice. "I didn't, actually. I told them no at first."

"Why would you do that?" was her next question.

Julian sighed. "I didn't want to come back here. There was nothing here for me anymore, so I thought. I'd tried very hard over the years to forget this place, and I had plenty of other things to focus on than organized crime. I'd never even heard the name Sonny Corinthos before that day."

"Something obviously changed your mind," Alexis said. "What was it?"

"Where does dear Aunt Ava come in to all this?" Sam tossed at him.

"It wasn't anything to do with Sonny that changed my mind, at least not at first; all I had was a name at that point," he told them both. "I honestly didn't care what he was doing here. It didn't concern me. That's when they handed me a file on Ava Jerome."

"You didn't know about her?" Alexis questioned, surprised.

"Nope," he answered easily. "I'd never heard the name before that day when I read the file. As far as I knew, the only sister I had was Olivia and she was dead. So, reading about a sister I never knew existed who was after the old Jerome territory here in Port Charles started to change my mind. Then they gave me the file on Sonny. That sealed it."

Alexis and Sam knew it couldn't be that simple. Nothing ever was. Not where Sonny Corinthos was concerned and not where Julian Jerome was concerned.

"What was in the file on Sonny?" Sam questioned.

Julian hesitated. He'd already told them both more than they were cleared to know. Technically, they weren't cleared to hear _anything_, but he'd always been a rule-breaker. But now there was a conflict of interest. Alexis' middle daughter and Sam's half-sister was Sonny's daughter as well.

"You can't tell us, can you?" Alexis surmised from his sudden reluctance to keep speaking.

"I've already told you more than I should have," he answered. "But…"

"But what?" Sam demanded. "Something in that file made you come here, _determined_ to take Sonny down. He's not into drugs, or prostitution or…"

Julian stood, anger blazing in his eyes. "That's where you're wrong!"

Sam flinched and leaned back. Alexis looked back and forth between father and daughter before focusing in on Julian's answer.

"_Is_ Sonny into drugs and prostitution, Julian?" she asked outright.

Julian sighed and began pacing. "Yes, he is. He always has been according to my information. I don't know what the two of you know about Sonny's past, but he's…he's not a nice guy. He committed his first murder when he was a teenager; not too long after the man he'd gone to work for, a mobster named Joe Scully had Sonny's stepfather killed after he beat Sonny's mother."

Julian could see that Alexis knew that bit of info, but Sam hadn't. Her eyes were wide and she looked a little scared.

_Good_, Julian thought. _Maybe I can get them both to see this guy needs to be put out of commission._

"Scully sent Sonny to Atlantic City then to run one of his strip joints called _The Sea Breeze_," Julian continued. "Scully's son, Joe Jr. was an incompetent hack who Scully had no faith in. While there, Sonny became friends with one of the strippers. Her name was Theresa and Joe Jr. was hung up on her. When she paid Sonny some attention, Joe Jr. killed her. Scully got his son into hiding and Corinthos lied to the cops about her murder."

Sam just shook her head. It was a moment before she noticed her father looking directly at her.

"One of the cops Sonny lied to was an FBI agent named John McBain," he told his daughter, having known she knew the man. "Theresa was his sister."

Sam nodded. "I knew he had a sister who was murdered, but…he…John thought Sonny had killed her."

Julian shrugged. "Well, he didn't but he knew who did, he knew why and he lied about it. After that mess, Sonny came here to Port Charles, working for another boss, Frank Smith, running another strip club. That's where he met Karen Wexler, a young, underage girl who he got addicted to drugs so she would keep stripping in his club. Corinthos murdered Joe Scully, the man who gave him his start in the business. He's murdered countless others and ordered even more."

Alexis had known some of the darker aspects of Sonny's nature, but her eyes were being opened more.

"You mentioned drugs and prostitution," she reminded Julian.

He was still walking around. His nervous energy wouldn't allow him to sit still. "When I read about Karen Wexler in the file, I wondered what else Corinthos was involved with as far as drugs went."

"Sonny swears he doesn't let drugs…"

"Wise up, little girl!" Julian yelled. "Your pal Sonny Corinthos is a pig. He knew Karen Wexler had a drug problem and instead of trying to help her, he fed the problem. He used the _Paradise Lounge_ as a base for his operation. He employed dealers who used his back rooms for business. He sold to anyone and everyone; adults who were already strung out, kids who were curious. He also began running his prostitution ring from the back of that joint. None of this has stopped, Sam. It still goes on. He still runs drugs in this city. He still keeps young girls hooked and makes them whore themselves out for their next meal; girls as young as Molly. Is that the kind of person you want to defend? Either of you? He's scum!"

Sam had tears in her eyes, as did Alexis. Neither had known the extent of Sonny's misdeeds and having it laid bare in that fashion was a shock neither was prepared for.

Alexis stood. "These girls…where…?"

Julian knew what she was asking. "All over, Alexis. You're a lawyer, I'm sure you've heard of, maybe even seen some human trafficking cases. They're brought in from all over; girls from broken homes where the parents can't afford them anymore, girls who are on the streets and are promised a life of privilege. You really believe all those containers that come in down on the waterfront are filled with coffee? No one drinks that much caffeine. Sonny's organization is the largest on the east coast in terms of human trafficking. It's not just these girls he sells into the sex trade, it's men who owe him something that he uses as slave labor on his island and it's young boys, sons of men he's killed or had killed he's using to pay their father's debts to him."

"How does he get away with this?" Sam asked tearfully, images of her little sisters being forced to work for Sonny, or other men like him, running through her head.

Julian rested a hand on Sam's shoulder as he met Alexis' eyes. "Sonny has excellent attorneys, Sam. Plus, he has a lot of money and more than one judge on his payroll. He has men in the DA's office, at the PCPD. Corinthos has his fingers in every bit of business in this city, legal and illegal. He covers his bases, watches his back and takes nothing for granted."

"How do you hope to catch him?" Alexis wanted to know, choosing to ignore his little dig at her for being one of Sonny's attorney's. "If no one has been able to before now, how do you, how does the WSB hope to pin anything on him now? I know how cagey he is and how nothing sticks to the man."

"I can't tell you that," he answered, hoping they would let it go. "Just know that we're not being careless here, _I'm_ not being careless."

Just then the three of them heard Danny cry out for his mother. Sam jumped up and went to her son, leaving her parents once again alone together.

"This is what you meant, isn't it?" she asked. "When you told Sam she didn't know the whole story and when you told me earlier that maybe one day I'd let you explain your side, this was what you meant, right?"

"Yeah, this is what I meant," he confirmed. "I need you to understand that no one, _no one_ can know any of this; not one word."

Alexis took a step closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body tightly against his. "I won't tell a soul. Sam won't either."

He kissed her softly. "Good. My life, this entire operation really, depends on it."

Alexis pulled him into another kiss. His mouth opened beneath the pressure of her lips and their tongues met and tangled intimately. Julian's hands went to Alexis' face as her hands drifted down his back and settled at his waist.

"Chatting again?" came Sam's voice.

Alexis and Julian sprang apart, startled. Sam laughed as she walked back into the room and sat back down in the chair.

Julian wiped his mouth while Alexis blushed. "You have got to stop sneaking up on people, young lady."

Sam smiled at her mother. "So, Dad, what about Aunt Ava? Where does she fit in?"

Julian's reaction was immediate. Tears gathered in his eyes as 'Dad' rang in his ears.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

/

"I thought…I thought I'd try it out," Sam whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Julian gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I just…it's nice to hear even if…"

Sam felt bad. She truly hadn't meant to upset her father. She'd had a sudden impulse to hear what it sounded like to call him dad. She'd liked the way it sounded, and as they worked their way towards a father/daughter relationship and the trust between them increased, Sam could envision herself calling him that on a permanent basis.

Julian cleared his throat and brushed away the tears that had gathered as he sat down, pulling Alexis down with him. He was increasingly unwilling to have her very far from him and as long as she wasn't protesting, he would keep her close.

"I already told you that I didn't know about Ava until I was given the file on her," he started out. "It didn't surprise me to learn that my father had another illegitimate child. What did surprise me was that she was intent on coming to Port Charles to reclaim the former Jerome family glory, so to speak. As far as I knew then, and I haven't learned anything different since then, Ava never even met our father. Victor certainly never mentioned another daughter. So, per my new assignment, I made it my business to meet her, get her to trust me and make her think it was my mission to come here and rebuild our father's twisted empire."

"What about her connection to Silas?" Sam wondered.

"I have…someone looking into her dealings with Silas as it relates to his wife," Julian offered. "Anything and everything he finds will be on my desk within the next few days."

"You don't trust Silas, do you?" Sam wanted to know, having begun to question her own judgment where the doctor were concerned.

"No, I don't," he answered honestly. "I have no information on him at this point that suggests anything one way or the other, but my…instincts tell me he isn't on the up and up. Now, forgive me if I oversteps any boundaries here, but I won't allow him to hurt you."

Everyone was quiet, and after a few moments Julian stood. "I should get going. I have a lot of reports to go over."

He reached for his coat as Alexis and Sam stood as well. Sam watched her mother casually help Julian into his coat; how she ran her hand down his back and finally how she let him pull her into a tight hug.

Sam decided to join and folded herself in between her parents. Alexis chuckled while Julian closed his eyes and savored having his girls in his arms.

"I need for you both to do something for me," he said as they all pulled back. "Until this is all finished, I need…no one can know any of this. You two can't treat me any differently than you have been. I need for Corinthos to keep believing that I'm using my grandson as a shield."

"Can he really just…kill you?" Sam asked. "I mean, you're a WSB agent. How is…"

Julian rested his hands on Sam's thin shoulders and looked her in the eye. "I'm not invincible, Sam. Sonny wants me dead. He thinks I want his territory, and if and when he finds out I'm a WSB agent, he's just going to want me dead even more. That's why everything you learned here tonight can't be revealed. You _have_ to keep it to yourself, no matter what. Both of you."

"We will," Alexis promised him.

Sam echoed that promise and Julian headed for the door. He had just prepared to open it when Sam called out to him. When he turned, she spoke.

"I just wanted to tell you…thank you, for Danny, for the truth, for…everything," she stumbled. "When you have time, I need…there are some things _I_ need to tell _you_."

Normally Julian's inherent curiosity would have had him questioning her immediately. But he sensed that she needed some time to work things out within herself before she brought him into whatever she needed to reveal. So he simply gave her a nod and took his exit.

Alexis watched through the open blinds as he entered his car and drive off.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Sam asked as she came to stand next to her.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, I…I think I am. You?"

"Yeah, I am, too."

Together, mother and daughter watched until the taillights of Julian's car were no longer visible in the distance.

/

_**April 12, 2004**_

_**Undisclosed Location**_

/

"_Sir, he's waking up."_

_Slowly, Zander's dark eyes opened. The first thing he noticed was the fact that the tiny room he was in had no windows. The second thing he noticed as the large, burly guard that stood between him and the door. _

"_Where am I?" he asked, his own voice sounding foreign to him. _

_The door opened and Zander watched as an old man in a wheelchair was pushed into the room. He had short gray hair and dark eyes hidden behind a pair of thin glasses. Zander noticed right away that he was dressed well; three piece suit and shoes so shiny he was sure you could eat off of them._

"_You are in Greece, my dear boy," the man answered as he was wheeled to Zander's bedside. _

"_Greece?" Zander questioned. "What the hell am I doing in Greece? How am I even alive? I was shot in the chest like, three times. I should be dead."_

_The old man reached out a wrinkled hand and rested it on Zander's left arm. "I have my ways, my boy. You didn't know it, but you had been slipped a drug which slows the heart rate and depresses the respiratory system just enough to simulate death. When you were shot on the front porch of the home you once shared with your wife, the police believed you to be dead."_

"_What did you…did you steal my body from the morgue or something?" Zander asked, a bit freaked out and more than a little afraid._

_The old man actually smiled. "Precisely. My men were there, ready to take custody of you and to give you the counter-agent to the drug. After that, you were treated for your injuries and then brought here nine days ago. You've been unconscious the entire time."_

"_Why am I here?" Zander demanded. "What the hell is all this about?"_

"_It's about making sure my grandson is taken care of," the old man told him, as if that explained the entire situation. _

_Zander stared at the man. "Who's your grandson and what does he have to do with me?"_

_The old man smiled. "My boy, you are my grandson; the son of my daughter."_

_Zander chuckled. "I met my grandfather when I was kid, man. You're not him."_

"_Ah, but you're assuming that Margaret Lewis was your biological mother. I am telling you now, she was not."_

_Zander's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean she wasn't my biological mother? What kind of game are you playing here, old man? She was my_ mother!"

"_No, she was not," the man insisted. "She was the woman who raised you, but she was not your mother. My daughter was your mother."_

_Zander sighed. "Okay, so who the hell is my mother? Who's your daughter?"_

_The man smiled widely. "Her birth name is Natasha Cassadine. But you know her as Alexis Davis."_

/

Julian sighed as he walked into Ava's apartment. The lights were out and he knew his sister wasn't home.

_Probably babysitting Morgan_, he thought.

He tossed his coat across the back of the couch and headed for the mini bar. He poured a glass of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. After setting the glass down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

He paced the room until someone answered.

"It's me," Julian said. "Where is he now?"

"_He went into Commissioner Devane's office nearly an hour ago. He hasn't come out yet."_

Julian smiled. "As expected. Keep eyes on him. I've got taps going on his cell and his landline tomorrow."

"_Boss, you sure about this?"_ the man questioned. _"I mean, Lavery isn't part of…"_

"Yes, he is," Julian snapped. "He's working for Corinthos, which makes him a part of this operation. Just do what I tell you."

"_You're the boss,"_ the man answered.

Julian hung up the phone and headed for the shower. It was the best day he'd had in a quite a while and he was sure he would sleep well.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

/

_**Cassadine Island**_

_**Greece**_

_**April 21, 2004**_

/

_Zander was slowly getting up and around. His chest still hurt from the gunshot wounds and he hated the scars, but he was healing. He'd been spending his days alternating between doing cardio exercises in the gym and taking slow runs on the beach._

_He'd quickly come to love the beauty of the early Grecian spring. The island was covered with wild flowers. The Aegean Sea was still a bit cool, but a few hotter days in a row had made taking a swim now and then a bit easier. _

"_Are you enjoying yourself, Alexander?" Mikkos asked his grandson as he was wheeled up next to the young man who was seated on a bench overlooking the sea. _

_Zander chuckled as he shook his head. Nothing he had done or said had managed to convince Mikkos that he liked being called Zander, not Alexander. It reminded him too much of his father, of Cameron. _

"_I'm fine, Gramps," he answered, knowing Mikkos despised being called something so undignified. _

_Mikkos sighed. "Must you call me that infernal nickname?"_

_Zander laughed out loud. "As soon as you start calling me Zander, I'll call you Grandpa, maybe even Grandfather."_

_Mikkos appeared to consider it, but said nothing more about it. He pointed out to the sea and looked at his grandson. _

"_What is it you find so appealing about the sea, my boy?" he asked. _

_Zander shrugged. "I don't know, really. It seems peaceful, but…you can feel the raw power just beneath the surface. I feel like if I look hard enough I can see all the way to…to Port Charles; the people there."_

"_You think of your mother," Mikkos commented. _

_Zander had purposely been trying to avoid thinking about Alexis. He missed her. She was the second person in Port Charles to really believe in him, after Emily. She's defended him, taken him in and always treated him as if he were her own. _

"_Yeah, I think of her," he told Mikkos. "Why did she…never mind."_

_Mikkos knew what Zander was asking. He hadn't yet told his grandson the truth of his birth and the circumstances surrounding his adoption, nor the fact that he had a twin sister. Perhaps it was time. _

"_You want to know why your birth mother gave you up for adoption," Mikkos stated. "The simple answer is; she didn't."_

_Zander was confused. "That doesn't make any sense."_

_Mikkos took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Natasha was sixteen years old when she became pregnant. She wanted her children very much but I…I would not allow it. I forced her to give you and your sister up. She did not; still does not know she gave birth to twins."_

"_What did you do to her?" Zander demanded. _

_Mikkos wanted to take issue with Zander's tone, but decided against it. The young man was already angry and upset; no need to make it worse. _

"_I won't bore you with the details," Mikkos began. "When I learned that your mother was pregnant, I was angry. She was sixteen years old and had such a bright future. I took her from school and brought her home for a while before sending her to a clinic in Maine where she eventually gave birth to you and your twin sister."_

_Zander was pacing a bit in front of his grandfather. "What did you do to her that made her not know she had twins?"_

"_When she first went into labor, a drug was injected into her IV," Mikkos explained. "It suppressed her memory of giving birth to you. It wore off just before she gave birth to your sister. I had never intended for her to remember giving birth to either of you."_

_Zander was amazed. "What the hell was your plan? What did you tell her?"_

"_She was allowed to hold your sister for a few moments and then the child was taken from her," Mikkos explained. "I arranged for her to discover that the child had died as an infant."_

_Zander hands clenched into fists. "How could you do that? To your own daughter and grandchildren? How could you just…?"_

"_To protect all of you!" Mikkos yelled. "I'm sure you've heard of my dear wife, Helena. She had already slit the throat of my beloved, Kristen. She hated Natasha and she no doubt would have killed you and your sister had I not intervened."_

_Zander shook his head. "How did my mother not know she was carrying twins during her pregnancy?"_

"_Medical technology in 1979 wasn't what it is today," Mikkos stated. "Not to mention the fact that money placed in the right hands…"_

_Zander scoffed bitterly, interrupting. "You bribed people. You're a real piece of work, Gramps. How'd you even find out I'm your grandson? You keep tabs on me and my sister after you stole us from our mother?"_

_Mikkos nodded unapologetically. "Yes, I did. I did, however, lose track of your sister within a few years. Her adoptive family left…well, let's say they left a lot to be desired. I have no idea what happened to the girl."_

"_Why'd you keep track of me?"_

_Mikkos smiled. "You are very important."_

_Zander shook his head. "I doubt that. Nikolas is the important one. He's the prince."_

_Mikkos debated quickly and went with his gut. _

"_No, he isn't," he told his grandson. "Nikolas is not the Cassadine prince. You are."_

/

**February 1, 2014**

**Ava Jerome's Penthouse**

/

Typically, Julian wasn't the nervous type. He's been in the WSB long enough and done enough dangerous and downright crazy things over the years that rarely did something faze him. But as he stood staring out the penthouse window into the pre-dawn morning with just a hint of the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, his hands were shaking and his heart was pounding in his chest.

He had just gotten off the secure phone with Angelo Santorelli, a WSB agent who had been inside Sonny's organization for the past nine years. There was a large shipment coming in and according to Angelo's information, it was a small freighter which would be carrying nearly twenty teenage girls who would be sold into the sex trade.

A knock on the door pulled Julian from his thoughts. He set down his coffee cup and walked to the door, grabbing his gun off the table as he went.

"Boss, it's me," Carlos called out.

Julian opened the door and ushered the other man into the room.

"What do you got?" Julian immediately questioned.

Carlos handed him a thick file. "Sorry it took so long, Boss. This stuff was harder to come by than I thought it would be."

Julian tossed the file down and sat on the couch. "What's it say?"

Carlos poured a drink and took a seat as well. "You're not gonna like it. I sent Thomas to the apartment building where Clay and his wife lived. I told him to find out if the building had any kind of surveillance footage. They did."

"And?"

"Turns out that Det. West is right," Carlos told him. "About an hour before Dr. Clay _says_ he came home and found his wife unconscious, he was on the video entering the apartment, prescription bag in hand."

Julian sighed. "Where was this video back during the original investigation?"

Carlos laughed. "Well, seems your baby sister had something to do with that. The NYPD asked a few questions, mostly persuaded by Nina Clay's family. When nothing turned up, they dropped the investigation. Anyway, Thomas talked to one of the tenants who's lived there for forty years; old guy named Peter Wallace. He showed the old man Ava's picture and he recognized her. Seems she was a frequent…visitor to the apartment of one Jeb Morris, the manager of the complex who controlled all of the security footage. Turns out Jeb Morris is _still_ the manager. Thomas spoke to him and has a written statement that Jeb erased the footage of that day when Ava asked him to."

Julian stood and began pacing. "So Clay tried to kill his wife. How did you recover the footage if it was erased?"

Carlos smiled. "You know Thomas, Boss. It's an old VHS and the footage was never recorded over, just erased. It was easy to restore. According to Thomas, you can see Clay's face and he's recognizable. So, yeah, it _seems_ like Clay…tried to kill his wife."

Julian turned to face his most trusted friend and co-worker. "How do I tell Sam this? How do I…break my daughter's heart?"

Carlos shrugged. "No need to tell her anything. Wait until you hear the next part."

"What else did Thomas find out?" he wanted to know.

"I had him dig into Clay's and Ava's movements after all the fuss over Nina's condition," Carlos informed him. "He checked into court records and her will was filed about a month later; odd since she wasn't actually dead. Turns out her family had her declared legally dead after an EEG showed no brain activity, thus allowing her will to be filed. Crazy thing is, Dr. Clay isn't the one who filed it with the court, and it was never executed."

Julian was puzzled. "Ava?"

Carlos shook his head and smiled. "Nope, not Ava. The will was filed by someone named Jonathan West. Apparently, he's an attorney who represents Nina Clay's family. He's also the biological father of one PCPD Det. Nathan West."

"What?" Julian asked, stunned.

Carlos stood and poured himself another drink. "Yep. Nathan West was born in New York City to two teenage parents, Jonathan West and…"

Julian got it in that instant. "Nina Clay."

Carlos nodded. "This is why it took so long to get all the info. Thomas went digging into Nina Clay's past and found an old police report alleging that Nina was raped in the early to mid-1980's. She was fourteen, maybe fifteen. She refused to name her attacker and when she discovered she was pregnant, she immediately decided to give the baby up for adoption."

"Adoption records are sealed," Julian commented.

"Usually, yes," Carlos agreed. "Apparently, Nina's parents wanted to keep in touch with the family that adopted their grandson. So, they were pleased when their friends Samuel and Donna West adopted the boy who grew up to be Det. Nathan West. Jonathan West became his own son's adoptive brother. To top it off, Samuel West at least suspected what his son Jonathan had done to Nina, because the records Thomas came across contained a DNA test run when Nathan West was about nine, confirming that Jonathan is his father. Obviously they protected their son and never said a word."

"None of this proves that Silas Clay didn't give his wife that overdoes," Julian said. "All it proves is that Nathan West has a grudge against the man who tried to kill his biological mother. Which, it seems is the case. Do you think he knows his adoptive brother is actually his biological father; who raped his mother? Does he know Nina Clay is his mother? Did Nina Clay's family ever figure it out?"

"I don't know," Carlos told him. "Now, a question for you, Boss. Did you know that Silas Clay had a brother named Stephen?"

When Julian shook his head, Carlos handed him a picture. "That's Stephen Clay."

Julian was again stunned. "Twins?"

Carlos chuckled. "Yep, Stephen Clay is Dr. Clay's younger, identical twin brother. Well, _was_ his brother. Stephen Clay is dead. But, back when Nina Clay fell into her coma through mysterious means, Stephen was in New York at the same time. I think Stephen was masquerading as his brother. I think its Stephen Clay on the video footage at the apartment. I think Stephen Clay gave Nina Clay that overdoes, not Silas."

"Wow," was all Julian could manage.

"Yeah," Carlos agreed. "So, do we turn all this info over to the PCPD, or do you want to attach WSB jurisdiction to it? Take it out from under Det. West?"

Julian sighed. "I want jurisdiction, but…I can't chance my WSB status coming out just yet. Which brings me to other pressing matters. Santorelli called in a bit ago. Corinthos has a shipment coming in tonight. Fifteen to twenty teenage girls."

Carlos' hands clenched into fists and his face got red. "That bastard. You know, I know the business. I spent enough time around Hernando Rivera as a kid. I got the picture. You filled in other aspects for me. But Corinthos…he's…I still can't believe my sister was married to that scum, that she had his child."

"How are Lily and Enrique?" Julian asked, a smile crossing his face.

"They're good," he answered. "Lily loves teaching and Enrique is off somewhere in South America with Juan and Miguel. He's a roadie."

Julian laughed. "Well, when this is all over, maybe Lily can come back to Port Charles. Anyway, tonight when the shipment comes in, Santorelli says Corinthos and Butler will be on hand to personally handle things. We're gonna make our move."

"Not too early?" Carlos wanted to know.

Julian shook his head. "I don't think so. If we can catch him in this…I want the bastard done in, Carlos, once and for all."

Carlos nodded. "We'll get him, Boss. I'll call in the team. What time is the shipment?"

"Twenty-three hundred," Julian replied in military time as he glanced down at his watch. "Tell the boys we're green at twenty-nine thirty hours and we'll meet at Pier 60. Night vision and lots of ammo."

"Check," Carlos replied as the two men synchronized their watches. "Where you gonna be until go-time?"

Julian smiled. "I'm going to see Alexis."

Carlos patted him on the back and then headed for the door. He turned around with a thoughtful look on his face.

"When this is over," he began. "You're gonna stay here, aren't you? This is the last mission."

It didn't take any time at all to answer.

"Yeah, this is the last one," Julian said easily. "After this, I'm done."

Carlos nodded, but he didn't speak. He turned and walked out the door.

Julian went back to the window and again stared out into the early morning. The sun never did become visible. It was now hidden behind thick clouds that promised afternoon and evening snow.

"After this, I'm done."


	7. Chapter 6, part 1

**Chapter Six**

/

Alexis was looking over a file when Julian slid into the seat across from her at the Metro Court restaurant.

"Hi," he said with a smile.

Alexis smiled back. "Hi, yourself. What brings you here?"

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a stack of folded papers. He tossed them onto the table in front of her.

"Those are for you," he began. "They're certified copies. My attorney has the originals."

"What are they?" Alexis asked as she began unfolding them.

He cleared his throat. "Well, the first couple are an updated will; updated to include you, Sam, Lucas, Danny and Cameron. The second, third and fourth documents there are my durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney and an advance health care directive form. They appoint you as the person authorized to make any decisions on my behalf if I become incapacitated in any way and to make all medical decisions if I can't make them myself."

Alexis' eyes widened when she saw the amount of money listed in the will. "This is…wow."

Julian chuckled. "It's nearly everything Wells Publishing has ever made. I set aside several million for charities, but…the rest belongs to you, Sam, Lucas, Danny and Cameron."

Alexis then read the other papers. "Why give me medical POA? Are you okay? Does this have to do with Sonny?"

Julian leaned forward and gasped her hand in his. "I'm fine, Alexis. No, it doesn't have to do with Sonny. These are things the WSB has been bugging me about for years so…look, I don't plan on being incapacitated any time soon. It's just…precautionary."

Alexis wasn't sure she believed him. She looked into his dark eyes for several long moments before looking back down and the last two documents.

"This is very generous," she commented when she saw that the last two were trust funds for Danny and Cameron; to be used for college educations and other expenses that might arise. "I guess we need to actually tell Elizabeth that Cameron is our grandson."

"What's she like?" he asked. "I met her once at the hospital when Danny was sick, but…I don't know anything about her."

Alexis smiled gently. "You might remember Audrey Hardy from your time in Port Charles years ago; Elizabeth is her granddaughter. She's fought some major battles in her life and come out the other side. She's a single mother; Cameron is her eldest. He'll be ten in May. Jake will be seven in May and the baby, Aidan, will be four in July."

"That's gotta be tough, three boys," he said. "So, what about the father of the younger two; he around?"

"No," Alexis said, her voice sad. "Actually, I was going to leave this to Sam to tell you, but…I won't go into details because they aren't important. Sam's husband, Jason, he was Jake's father as well."

Julian tried to absorb that, knowing there were parts of the story he didn't know. "So, Elizabeth Webber's middle son is Danny's half-brother? What about the other one? Aidan?"

"Aidan's father is a former PCPD detective named Lucky Spencer," she informed him. "Lucky and Elizabeth are divorced and he lives in Ireland currently. Elizabeth works her butt off to provide for her boys and I have a tremendous amount of respect for her. We've had our differences in the past over Sam and Jason, but she's one tough young woman who loves her boys and would do anything for them."

"From what you told me about Zander and Emily Quartermaine, I got the impression that he and Elizabeth Webber weren't exactly together," Julian said.

Alexis nodded. "No, they weren't. It was one night between them and Cameron was the result. Zander knew he was going to be a father, but he died before Cam was born. He came to me shortly after Elizabeth told him she was pregnant. He was scared; said he had no idea how to be a father."

"I can understand that feeling," Julian remarked, mostly to himself but Alexis heard him.

"You'll figure it out," she reassured him. "Zander never had the chance. He would have been a good father, I think."

Julian was quiet. He thought about the son he never knew; would never know. Then he thought about Lucas; the son he wanted to know.

"Hey, you okay?" Alexis asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Julian sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine; just thinking about Lucas. Our first meeting didn't go…well. I need to find him and try to talk to him again. You know, I never imagined having a family before, and now…it's hard to come to terms with the fact that I have two grown children and two grandsons. I'm a little…overwhelmed."

With that, he stood; as did Alexis. She didn't even think before she stepped in front of him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. With no thought to the fact that they were in public nor any consideration for the fact that she was supposed to hate him, she pulled back just a bit and pressed her lips against his.

He opened his mouth against hers as her hands tangled in his hair. He was about to deepen the kiss when…

"Alexis!" Sonny yelled. "What the hell are you doing!?"

She felt Julian tense in her arms as they both pulled away. She saw the fire in his eyes and the way, as his arms fell away from her, his hands were beginning to clench into tight fists. She gently touched his cheek with her fingers.

"Let me handle him," she whispered as she stepped around Julian and acknowledged Sonny's presence.

"What do you want, Sonny?" she asked in as professional a voice as she could muster.

She was surprised by the depth of disgust she felt after learning so many ugly truths about the father of her middle child.

He approached her and pointed to Julian. "What the hell you doing with him? He's…"

She cut him off. "Who I spend my time with is my business, Sonny. Now, if you have something to say to me regarding Kristina, I'm willing to listen. If you have something to say to me regarding my legal services, I'm willing to listen. If all you're here to do is push Julian's buttons, then you can turn around and leave."

"First you hide behind a child to keep your sorry ass alive and now you let a woman fight your battles for you, Jerome?" Sonny asked with a smirk. "Real stand-up man, huh?"

Julian wanted nothing more than to punch Sonny in the face. But, he knew he'd have the last laugh, so he just smiled.

"Alexis is a strong woman, Corinthos," he said. "She doesn't need me, and certainly not _you_ to fight her battles for her."

Sonny smirked again. "You should stay away from him, Alexis. He's bad news."

Julian laughed. "Says Port Charles' finest citizen. Go peddle your crap somewhere else."

"Sonny, you should just leave," Alexis told him. "There is nothing to be gained by the two of you engaging in a pissing contest in the middle of a restaurant."

"I'm on to you, Jerome," Sonny said as a parting shot.

"You have no idea how wrong you are about that, Corinthos," Julian fired back. "But you'll see; soon enough."

Sonny turned around and headed to a back table where he met with one of his men Julian recognized as Mateo Sanchez. Mateo handled most of Sonny's business on the docks. He was the man who Angelo Santorelli reported to directly.

Alexis turned back around to Julian and found that his eyes were focused on Sonny. She rested a hand on his shoulder to get him focused on her.

"Come on," she said as she grabbed her purse. "Come back with me to the lake house. We can talk more."

Finally taking his eyes from Sonny, he nodded. "Okay. I'm…I'm sorry. I just…he makes me sick, Alexis; physically sick. I look at him and all I want to do is kick his ass and throw him in jail."

"I know," she said as the two walked out together. "Knowing what I know now, I feel the same way."

Alexis unlocked her car door and Julian held it open for her as she got in. He agreed to follow her to the lake house so they could talk more. He decided that he was going to tell her about the operation that night to bring Sonny down.

/

Sam was just walking out of Kelly's holding Danny's hand when Lucas appeared. He smiled down at the little boy.

"Hey there, little guy."

Sam smiled and bent down in front of her son. "Danny, I'd like you to meet someone. This is your Uncle Lucas."

Lucas bent down as well and held out his hand. Danny looked between his mother and the stranger before very slowly reaching for Lucas' hand.

"Nice to meet you, Danny," Lucas said as he held Danny's hand for a moment. "Maybe Uncle Lucas can come to the park with you and your mommy sometime."

Sam nodded. "Absolutely. We'd love that. I want to get to know my new brother and Danny can always use some strong male influences in his life. Without his dad..."

Lucas nodded sympathetically. "I was really sorry to hear about Jason. He was…he was always nice to me when I was a kid."

Sam ran her hand through Danny's hair and smiled sadly. "I miss him a lot. I wish Danny would have had the chance to know his father. That's a big part of the reason I want to get to know my…_our_ father. Danny will never have the chance to know his, but I have a chance to know mine. We both do."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair as the two of them took seats at one of the outdoor tables.

"When I was a kid I used to wonder a lot about him," Lucas told her. "I wondered what he was like, whether or not he would have liked me. I had this whole image of the guy built up in my mind and I used to pretend that he would come back some day and we'd…I don't even know. It was so much easier to accept what he did, who he was when he was dead. The reality, him standing in front of me the other day, I just…I didn't want to run away but my feet just started moving."

"Where'd you go?" Sam wondered.

"I just walked," he answered. "I needed to clear my head."

"Did it help?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said with a shake of his head. "I think…you know, I've read everything there is to read about him. I know everything about him that everyone _else_ has to say. Now, I think I want to know him and form my own opinions."

Sam smiled. She wanted so badly to tell her brother the truth about their father; that he wasn't a terrible mobster but a WSB agent. She wanted Lucas to know Julian Jerome was a good guy, not the bad guy he'd read about as a kid.

"I'm pretty sure he wants the same thing, Lucas," Sam told him. "He wants to get to know us both."

"You seemed pretty frosty with him," Lucas commented. "When I walked up you didn't seem interested in what he had to say."

Sam shrugged. "Well, like I said; Danny won't ever know his father. I decided that I didn't want to miss the chance to know mine."

They talked for a few more minutes before Danny started yawning. Sam picked the little boy up and he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'd better get him home," she said. "It's past his nap time. Listen, come by the penthouse any time you want or call me and we'll hang out. I'm really glad you're here."

Lucas smiled as he stood. "I will. You two be careful going home."

Sam and Danny walked off while Lucas decided that he needed to go talk to his dad.

/

**Davis Lakehouse**

/

Julian tossed his coat onto the couch and flopped down next to it. He then motioned for Alexis to sit down next to him. The moment she did, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tightly against him. She put her head on his shoulder and rested a hand on his chest.

"Something's bothering you," she said softly.

He nodded. "Yeah. I need to tell you something. Earlier, when you asked me if the papers had anything to do with Sonny and I told you no; I…that was a bit of a lie."

She tensed but didn't move from her spot. "What do you mean?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm…my team and I are running an op tonight. We're going after Sonny."

She pulled away from him. "What do you mean by going after him?"

"There is a shipment coming in tonight," he informed her. "According to our information, it contains fifteen to twenty teenage girls, Alexis. We're going to catch him in the act of human trafficking; teenage girls being brought into the country and sold to the highest bidder for whatever purpose they want. This is our chance to put him out of business for good."

She was very quiet and just as Julian was about to speak, she leaned forward and kissed him. He reacted quickly and he opened his mouth beneath hers. Their tongues tangled together as Julian's hands gripped her arms and pulled her into his lap. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed her breasts against his chest.

Julian ran his hand beneath Alexis' top and gently caressed her back as he pulled his mouth from hers and placed soft kissed along her jaw on his way to her neck.

Alexis pulled his head up so their eyes met. Both were breathing heavily.

Julian used his hands to push her hair away from her face; his hands came to rest on her cheeks.

"You are so beautiful," he said softly. "I want you; so much."

Alexis stood and held out her hand. He didn't hesitate in taking it as she led him down the hall and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and turned to face him.

"Make love to me," she commanded as she stepped into his embrace; arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"Are you sure?" he wanted to know even as he picked her up and carried her across the room to her bed.

Her legs went around his waist as he followed her down onto the bed.

"I'm sure. Make love to me, Julian."

Their bodies came together in a fiery explosion of passion while a light snow began falling outside.

/

Chapter Six, part 2 is rated M. If you wish, you can skip right to chapter 7, which picks up where chapter 6 ends.


	8. Chapter 6, part 2

**Chapter Six, part 2**

/

Julian pulled his lips from Alexis' and he sat up; her following. His ripped his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. His fingers immediately went to work on the buttons of her top, easily divesting her of the offending piece of clothing.

His eyes drank in the sight of her in a lacy black bra. She reached out and ran her hands down his chest until they settled at his belt. He pushed her hands away and quickly got rid of his belt, followed by his jeans, leaving kneeling before her in only his black briefs.

Alexis licked her lips as she saw the evidence of his desire for her, straining to be set free from its cotton prison.

Julian pushed her onto her back gently and slowly undid her jeans and pulled them and her panties off slowly. Alexis lifted her back enough to discard her bra, leaving her fully unclothed for his roaming eyes.

Alexis closed her eyes as she felt his lips against her neck and then to her breasts. His lips closed over her right nipple while his right hand slipped down between her thighs. His fingers teased her clitoris and Alexis moaned deep in her throat as her legs fell open for him.

"Julian, please," she managed to get out between gasps of pleasure.

He kissed her lips gently. "Please what?"

She grabbed his head in her hands. "I need you inside me. Please."

He grinned and shook his head. "Not yet, baby. Soon."

He kissed her then as his slid first one finger inside her, then another. He kissed her over and over again until her head was spinning from the pleasure; his tongue in her mouth mirroring his fingers, probing, teasing her to the edge of climax.

He hit the perfect spot inside her and Alexis gasped in pleasurably shock, arching her back. Julian pulled back from her for a moment, pleased with her reaction. He gave her a wicked smile and resumed kissing her deeply as he sped up the stroke of his fingers.

Alexis could feel the warmth spreading throughout her belly as Julian's fingers continued to stroke her and it wasn't long before she came hard against his fingers; her back arched off the bed as she moaned his name repeatedly as the heavens opened up for her.

Julian pulled back from their kiss as he watched her come down from her climax. He eased his fingers from inside her, gently stroking her as he brought his hand to rest against her pelvis.

"Good?" he asked with a cheesy grin on his face.

Alexis didn't answer. She reached for his briefs and slid them down his narrow hips. He kicked them off and let her admire his body.

She reached out and grasped him gently in her left hand. Julian bit his lip and tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a groan of pleasure. He closed his eyes as she slowly ran her hand up and down his shaft a few times.

He moaned her name. "Baby, please, you…you gotta stop that or…or this'll be over before it…before it starts."

Alexis thrilled at being able to bring him the same pleasure he gave her. But, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She stopped stroking him and leaned back, pulling him with her.

Julian used his knee to nudge her legs apart as he settled between them. Alexis slid her hands down to his backside and pulled him into her.

They both moaned as Julian sank inside her. Alexis' eyes slid shut as she felt him fill her completely. When his hips rested against hers, he used his right forearm to support himself above her and his left hand to smooth her hair away from her face.

"Lexie, look at me," he commanded. "Open your eyes."

Alexis opened her eyes and smiled. "I remember you, too."

Julian felt a tear escape as he leaned down and kissed her as he began a slow rhythm. Alexis met his thrusts with a constant rise and fall of her own hips.

Julian pressed hot kisses on her mouth, cheeks, neck, and collarbone and finally down to her breasts. He took her left nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, sucking gently.

Alexis let out a deep moan when she felt Julian begin to thrust a bit harder. He sped up when he felt her inner muscles begin to clench around him.

"I'm going…oh, Julian…"

One, two, three more hard deep thrusts and he felt Alexis tense beneath him as her orgasm hit her full force. Her back arched, pressing her breasts into his chest and her legs wrapped around him, holding him deeply inside her.

Wanting to be with her, Julian pulled out slightly and gave a few more thrusts before letting himself go and finishing with her.

Alexis had her legs locked around Julian's waist and his head had fallen to her chest as they recovered their breath from the passionate lovemaking. Julian pressed one last kiss to her breast and gently separated them; both moaning at the loss of contact.

Julian rolled onto his back and pulled Alexis across him. Her head went to his chest and she draped a leg over his hips as he pulled the sheets up to cover them. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair and placed a tender, loving kiss against her forehead.


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

/

"You have to go, don't you?" Alexis asked a few hours later as they lay together beneath the covers of her warm bed.

Julian nodded as he ran his fingers up and down her back. "Yeah, I do. I have to meet my team in a little less than an hour."

"Promise me you'll be careful," she said to him. "Please."

"I'm always careful," he responded with a grin.

Alexis sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. "I'm serious. You may know what Sonny does, but I know who he _is_ and the things he'll do to get what he wants. He won't hesitate to…"

Julian sat up as well and pulled her into a hug. "I'll be careful, I promise. I'll come back to you."

He heard her sniffle then and knew she was crying. He'd never expected to feel the things he did with her; with anyone. He held her tightly against him until she calmed down. The he pulled back and wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"When this is all over," he began. "We're gonna go somewhere. We're gonna pack up and take our family somewhere away from this crazy city. After tonight, I'm done with the WSB. I'm gonna fax my resignation to Sean, and I'm finished."

He was certain the brightness of Alexis' smile could have lit New York City for a year.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she informed him.

He kissed her softly. "I'll be back before you know it. You just stay here, watch some television and keep the bed warm for me."

He jumped up and Alexis leaned back against the pillows and watched him pull his clothes back on. Once he had tied his shoes, he stood from the foot of the bed and turned to face her. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

"What?" she wondered out loud.

He shook his head. "I wasn't sure before, but now I am."

Alexis was puzzled. "Sure about what?"

He gave her a wide smile. "That I love you."

With that, not giving her time to even respond, he walked from the bedroom.

Alexis heard the front door shut and she covered her face with her hand as she dissolved into tears.

/

**Pier 60**

**2245 Hours**

/

Julian stepped into the warehouse they were using as a staging area and looked around at his team.

Carlos Rivera, David Johnson, Alex Martoni, Chris Rodriguez, Eric Wilson, Todd Mason, Brian Jamison and Angelo Santorelli were some of the best agents the WSB had to offer. They'd all worked together with Julian as their team leader for the past fourteen years, with the exception of Santorelli who had only been reporting to Julian for a year or so. He'd never lost a man and he didn't intend to start that night.

"Listen up, men," he called as he stepped into the middle of the room.

The team stopped and turned to face him. All, including Julian were clad in black military-style fatigues and were equipped with night vision and M-16's.

"Rules of engagement for tonight are as follows," he began. "Do not fire unless fired upon. Objective is to arrest and bring to trial. We're using call sign Yankee tonight."

"What's the likelihood we won't be shot at, Boss?" David Johnson questioned.

Julian and some of the others chuckled. "We're gonna be shot at, Davey. Be ready to shoot back. Okay, everyone do one last check on weapons and headsets and we're green in fifteen minutes."

Everyone did as instructed and just a few minutes before 2300 hours, Julian stood. "We're green, boys. Let's roll."

It was very dark as they stepped outside, masks pulled down over their faces. The night vision goggles they wore made it easy for them to see.

"I count…eleven men, Yankee Leader," Todd Mason, Yankee Seven, reported. "I've got Butler, Corinthos and Sanchez in my line of sight."

"Roger that, Yankee Seven," Julian responded. "As soon as we see the cargo, we move. Yankee Two, you lead Yankee Three and Four in from the right."

"Roger," Carlos, Yankee Two, replied.

"Yankee Five and Six, you're with me," Julian ordered. "We're going in from the left."

Both men acknowledged the command and moved silently behind Julian.

"Yankee Seven, Eight and Nine, you three head down the main dock," he ordered. "Be on alert, don't get careless and lets all watch each other's backs. Yankee Nine, you keep your face covered at all costs. We don't want Corinthos knowing who you are."

"Copy," Santorelli acknowledged.

In a perfectly choreographed routine, they all began to move as Julian had instructed.

/

"Should you be here tonight, Boss?" Mateo Sanchez asked Sonny. "Me and the boys can handle this."

Sonny rested a hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate the concern, but I have reasons for wanting to oversee this shipment. So, let's get going."

Mateo motioned for the workers to open the container. Standing in a line one behind the other, a string of teenage girls began walking down onto the dock from inside the cargo hold of the large ship. They were bound together by chains around their ankles and ropes tied around their waists while their hands were bound together as well. Some had black eyes and assorted other bruises. All had dirty, matted hair and some had clothing which was torn. Everyone was barefoot.

Sonny moved in their direction just as the bright lights from Julian's team eliminated the entire dock.

"Don't move, Corinthos!" Julian yelled from his lead position on the left of Sonny and his men.

Before he had a chance to say anything more, Sonny and his men all reached for guns and began shooting. Julian and his team returned fire.

Carlos hit the deck on his stomach and let loose five shots in a row, hitting three of Sonny's men. Each went down hard; two dead.

Julian took aim at Shawn, who had scampered behind some crates and was returning fire. He could barely make out Shawn's shoulder above the crate. He gently squeezed the trigger and saw his bullet hit Shawn's left shoulder.

Sonny had dived and rolled behind a crate across the dock from Shawn. He saw his enforcer get hit and tried to crawl to him, but the gunfire was too heavy.

"Shawn!" he yelled. "You okay!?"

Their eyes met and Shawn nodded. The pain radiating from the wound in his shoulder had rendered him silent.

"Give it up, Corinthos!" Carlos yelled as he, David and Alex moved in closer.

Sonny raised his arm and fired a shot from his position that hit David in the abdomen. Alex knelt down while Carlos fired back, missing Sonny by inches.

Julian, Chris and Eric were slowly walking up the left side.

"You're a dead man, Jerome!" Sonny yelled as he stood brazenly and fired several shots in Julian's direction.

Julian tucked and rolled away. He heard one bullet whiz right by his head, missing only by inches. He came up shooting. He saw two more of Sonny's men go down; both groaning and screaming in pain.

"Give it up, Sonny," Brian Jamison said. "Half your men are down. It's over."

Julian had stood. Todd and Eric were cuffing some of Sonny's men who had surrendered, including Mateo Sanchez.

Alex, a trained medic was holding pressure on David's wound. He had also called for an ambulance.

Julian stepped in closer to Sonny; his eyes watching both Corinthos and Shawn. He ripped the mask off of his face and tossed it down.

"It's over, Corinthos," he told the mob boss. "You're done."

Sonny grinned evilly. "No, but you are."

Julian glanced over his shoulder and saw Angelo Santorelli with his mask off and his weapon pointed right at Julian.

"What the hell you doing, Santorelli!?" Carlos yelled.

Angelo shook his head. "I'm sorry, Carlos. I'm sorry, man. I got no choice. Sonny has…he has my brother. I have to…"

_I love you, Alexis_, Julian thought. _Take care of our family._

In that split second, Julian threw his body against Angelo's. As both men were falling, Shawn stood and fired one, two, three bullets. Sonny got one shot off before both he and Shawn were hit from behind as Chris fired at them both.

/

**The Lakehouse**

/

Alexis had been trying to sleep. She looked at the clock and saw that it was just past one in the morning. She gave up trying to relax and got out of bed. She had just donned her robe when she heard a knock on the front door. Assuming it was Julian, she quickly ran out of her room, down the hall and to the door.

She immediately saw that it wasn't Julian, but associate Carlos. She opened the door and when she saw the look on his face, fear set in.

"Is he dead?" she managed to ask.

Carlos didn't answer. He stepped inside the house and closed the door behind him.

"Answer me," she demanded, tears gathering in her dark eyes. "Is he dead?"


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

/

Carlos brushed some snow from his hair as he reached out with the other hand to take Alexis'.

"No, he's not dead," he told her. "But he's hurt, very badly."

"What happened?" Alexis questioned. "Where is he?"

Carlos pulled her to the sofa and made her sit down. He took a seat on the coffee table across from her; her hands nestled in both of his.

"Julian was shot," he said calmly. "He was shot four times, once in the chest, twice in the abdomen and once…"

Alexis closed her eyes. "Where else, Carlos?"

"The last shot, it…"

"Where!?" Alexis yelled.

"He was shot in the head, Alexis," Carlos spit out. "The last bullet hit him in the head."

Her shoulders began to shake as sobs wracked her body. Carlos moved to sit next to her and gathered her into his arms.

"He was taken to GH," he said in a comforting tone. "Patrick Drake was being called in to do the surgery."

Alexis pulled free from his embrace and wiped her eyes. "I have to get dressed and go to the hospital. I have to…to call Sam and…oh, God and…and Lucas. They need to know their father is…might be…and I need to…"

Carlos stood and took her arms in his hands. "Calm down. Okay, take deep breaths and we're gonna do one thing at a time. First, go get dressed. Second, we'll take care of calling your daughter. Third, we're going to the hospital."

Alexis took a few deep breaths, though her hands were still shaking and tears were still gathered in her eyes. She quickly moved to her bedroom to get dressed.

While Carlos was waiting for her to come back, her phone rang. He glanced down as saw Corinthos' name in the caller ID. Anger went straight through him. He reached down and was about to answer the phone when Alexis came back into the room.

"Who is that?" she wanted to know.

Carlos sighed and handed her the phone. "It's Corinthos. I was just about to answer it tell him where he can put his…"

Alexis hit the ignore button. "Did he shoot Julian?"

"Yeah, he did," Carlos revealed. "He and Shawn Butler both shot him, along with one of our team members. He's also at GH in critical condition."

Alexis took in another deep breath as she dialed a number on her phone. It was a few minutes before someone answered.

"_Mom? Why are you calling so late? What's wrong?"_ Sam questioned in a sleepy voice.

"I'm sorry, honey," Alexis started. "There's…there's been an…an accident. It's your father."

"_What happened? Is he okay?"_ Sam demanded.

Alexis' eyes teared up a bit. "No, sweetheart, he's…he's hurt pretty bad. He was…your father was shot tonight."

"_Oh, my God,"_ Sam blurted. _"Where…is he at GH? Mom, what…?"_

"Samantha, listen to me," Alexis instructed in a stern voice. "Get Molly up and get Danny ready. Carlos is here with me. We'll be there to pick the three of you up in twenty minutes."

Alexis hung up the phone and went to grab her purse and her keys, which Carlos promptly took from her.

"I'm driving," he said, leaving no room for argument.

They walked out of the house together and got into the black SUV that Carlos had parked in the driveway.

/

**Port Charles General Hospital**

**7AM, February 2, 2014**

/

Dr. Patrick Drake heaved a big sigh as he exited the operating room. He, and several other surgeons, had spent the last several hours carefully, skillfully repairing the damage to Julian's broken body.

Sam caught sight of Patrick first. She jumped up from her chair. "Patrick, how is he?"

Patrick's eyes landed on Alexis. She'd been just this side of hysterical when she, Sam, Molly, Danny and Carlos had arrived. Now, seated at the far side of the room with Danny asleep in her lap, she seemed calmer. Beside her sat Lucas, who had been called as soon as they had arrived at the hospital.

The neurosurgeon cleared his throat and began.

"Julian's alive," he started.

A collective sigh of relief went through the room. Patrick took a seat next to Alexis as Sam sat back down as well.

"He's alive," he stated again. "But he is in very critical condition. He's fortunate in the fact that the bullet didn't cross the midline of his brain."

"Did the bullet splinter?" Lucas suddenly questioned, his mind focusing on the medical situation as he tried to forget the fact that the patient they were discussing was his father.

"No, remarkably it did not," Patrick said. "It was a fairly clean through-and-through. I had to remove a very small amount of necrotic brain tissue. Obviously, we've removed part of his skull to help relieve the pressure on his brain, which is quite swollen at the moment, to prevent any further damage."

"What was the bullet's path, Dr. Drake?" Lucas then questioned.

Patrick's gaze settled on the young medical intern. "The bullet entered his head just above his left eye and traveled through the brain and exited the back of his head."

"The frontal and parietal lobes?"

Patrick nodded. "Yes."

"What do you expect when he wakes up?" Alexis spoke softly.

Patrick took a deep breath. _"If_ he wakes up, there could be any number of issues. Lucas, you're a doctor, you know what things are controlled in the areas of the brain that have been injured."

Lucas nodded and spoke softly. "Motor functions, motor speech and higher functions like planning, reasoning, impulse control, decision making and…"

When he stopped, Patrick finished. "…and memory. In addition, there is a possibility that his speech could be affected, as well as pain and touch sensation, spatial navigation and visual orientation. In all honesty, there really is no way as of right now to know what Julian's outcome may be. Right now, he's in a medically induced coma to allow his brain and body to get as much rest as possible. He's on a ventilator as well."

Sam and Alexis both had tears running down their cheeks. Carlos had his arm around Alexis while Lucas held Sam's hand tightly in his own.

"Patrick, is…is he going to live?" Molly spoke up from her spot on the floor in front of Alexis, tears in her eyes as well.

Patrick looked at their faces; everyone in the room. He'd only found out when Julian had been brought in that the notorious mobster was in fact a government agent. He could see the worry on the faces of the people who cared for Julian; loved him. Patrick wished he could give them the answer they each so desperately wanted.

"I don't…I just don't know," Patrick told her; all of them. "I've done all I can in repairing the injury to his brain. Two other surgeons removed the bullets from his chest and abdomen, which included removing his spleen and repairing a hole in his liver. They also discovered a wound to his left leg which shattered his tibia. That was repaired by an orthopedic surgeon and metal rod was inserted into his leg. I won't lie to any of you. Julian is in extremely critical condition and it's going to be a while before we know anything, one way or the other. The next twenty-four to thirty-six hours are critical in determining if he lives or dies."

"Can I see him?" Alexis chimed in again, voice so low she could barely be heard.

Patrick shook his head. "I'm sorry, not right now. What I suggest is that you all go home, get some rest and come back later today. He can have one visitor at a time for fifteen minutes every hour then."

With that, Patrick stood and left the room.

/

**Port Charles Police Department**

**Holding Cell #4**

**Three Hours Later**

/

Anna Devane, PCPD Commissioner was reading a report when the doors slammed open and she was floored to see Sean Donely and Frisco Jones enter the police station.

She smiled and went to hug them both. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Official business, I'm afraid," Sean said as he handed her an envelope.

Anna opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside. As she read, her eyes got wide with disbelief.

"Is this…is this _real_?" she stuttered.

Sean nodded. "Yes, it is. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

She led the two of them into her office. "How in the hell did Julian Jerome become a WSB agent? You know, Robert told me that Julian was in witness protection, but he never…this is outrageous!"

Sean leaned forward. "First of all, Robert didn't know. He knew the WSB had kept Julian alive and offered him a deal, which he took. Very few people knew who he actually was once he had his new face and new identity as Derek Wells. He did his part, and when I went to him with the offer, at first he told me where I could shove it."

Frisco then picked up the tale. "He finally agreed, and after a year in training, he became a full-fledged WSB agent. He's been leading his own team for fourteen years. About a year ago, we assigned him Sonny Corinthos. We thought he was…uniquely qualified to bring Corinthos down."

Anna sighed. "I despise Julian Jerome."

Frisco leaned forward. "Anna, it wasn't Julian who caused…"

"I know that!" she snapped. "It was Olivia. I know that, but I just…I blame him, too. I always have. He's no better than Sonny."

"He admits that, Anna," Sean told her. "He was the first to admit that when we asked him to do this. He didn't want to do it. He wanted to stay as far away from organized crime as he could until we showed him the things Corinthos was doing. It changed his mind."

"Does Sonny know that Jerome is a WSB agent?" she questioned.

Sean shook his head. "Remarkably, no. When we arrived on the scene, we made a show of taking his team into custody as well to conceal the truth. Sonny can't know until the time is right."

Anna took a deep breath. "So, how long until he's bailed out, I wonder."

Frisco smiled and handed her another piece of paper. "Sonny won't be bailed out, Anna, not this time. That gives the WSB jurisdiction over Sonny's case. His crimes have become international with this human trafficking and drug shipments. We're taking custody of him as of right now."

She shook her head. "Fine by me; one less headache."

She led them out of her office and down to the holding cells. Sonny was lying down on a cot with his eyes closed.

"Time to get up, Corinthos," Frisco said in a loud voice.

Sonny opened his eyes and looked at his visitors. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Sean stepped up to the cell bars. "Your crimes have come to the attention of the WSB. We're here to take custody of you as your case has just been put under our jurisdiction."

Sonny smirked. "You can't do that. I have a right to be tried…"

Frisco handed him a piece of paper through his cell. "That is a certified letter from the Attorney General of the United States. You are being charged with RICO violations as well as a host of others crimes and the AG has seen fit to place you under the jurisdiction of the WSB and approved transport to WSB Headquarters. We're leaving tonight."

"I have to speak to my attorney," Sonny complained. "I wasn't able to reach her earlier and I need…"

"You need what, Sonny?" they all suddenly heard from behind them.

Alexis walked up and went to stand directly in front of Sonny. "I'm going to say this once, so listen well. I'm finished as your attorney as of this very moment. I resign. I will no longer be representing your interests, legal or otherwise. You've destroyed so many lives, Sonny. But, finally, you're exactly where you belong. I'm through with you."

With that having been said, she turned and walked away from the father of her middle child. She had washed her hands of Kristina's father, once and for all.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

/

After her short chat with Sonny, Alexis went back to the hospital. She had just been admitted to the ICU and was headed for Julian's room when she saw Patrick coming out.

"How is he?" she questioned.

Patrick cleared his throat. "He's…holding his own at the moment. I'm a little concerned because his ICP has risen just a bit in the last…"

Alexis shook her head. "What's ICP?"

Patrick guided her to a pair of chairs and they both sat down.

"ICP stands for intracranial pressure," he explained. "In Julian's case, the traumatic brain injury has caused his brain to swell, thus increasing the ICP. The operation I did was called a craniectomy. It differs from a craniotomy in that I didn't replace the bone flap, the segment of skull bone, right away. Leaving it open allows the brain to swell and expand without being crushed, thus reducing the pressure."

"You mentioned that his…ICP had increased," she said. "If he's missing part of his skull, why is that happening?"

"I was hoping not to have to do it," he began. "But, it's possible I may need to remove a larger portion of his skull. Right now, he's on two-to-one care, which means he has two nurses with him all the time. They are monitoring his ICP as we speak. If it continues to increase, I'll need to do the second surgery, but there are risks."

"Such as?"

"He's already on massive doses of antibiotics to prevent infection," he told her. "However, meningitis and brain abscesses can occur after a craniectomy. He would be at increased risk if I have to go in again. I'm…"

"What?" she asked; seeing his hesitation. "Patrick, tell me."

Patrick sighed. "I'm not at all sure he can handle another operation in his condition. His body has been through a severe trauma and he's extremely weak right now."

Alexis took a deep breath. "If you don't do the second…craniectomy, what will happen?"

Patrick knew Alexis well enough to know she'd want the truth, despite the pain it may cause her. So, he was honest.

"His ICP will continue to increase," he stated, matter-of-fact. "The swelling can crush his brain tissue, it can cause a shift in his brain structure and his brain will herniate. Massive brain damage is a guarantee at that point and most likely, combined with his other injuries and severely weakened state, he'll die."

A few tears escaped and Alexis wiped them away angrily. "Do I need to sign anything for you to do the second operation?"

He nodded. "Elizabeth has the consent forms. Alexis, listen to me."

Her watery eyes met his confident ones. "I believe this is his _only_ chance at survival. His other injuries will heal in time, but if we can't save his brain, we've got nothing."

Alexis nodded and stood. "Get me those papers. I need to call Sam and Lucas. They took Danny outside for a while."

Patrick stood as well. "I'll make sure Elizabeth has the papers ready for you."

He walked off while Alexis stepped outside the unit into the hallway and called Sam and Lucas.

/

**GH Morgue**

/

After Alexis left the hospital and Sam, Lucas and Danny had gone for a walk, Carlos had sat with Julian for fifteen minutes. He'd urged his friend to fight as hard as he could. Now, having seen Alexis come back, he'd escaped the ICU and was now standing in the morgue.

He thanked the security guard who had opened it for him. He stood staring at the top two drawers. The tag on the right-hand drawer indicated the body inside was that of veteran WSB agent David Johnson, aged forty-five; married with three children.

The tag on the left-hand drawer was tagged as Shawn Butler. Carlos spared a thought to what would now happen to Butler's ward, TJ Ashford. Beyond that, he was merely glad that Butler was dead. He'd been responsible for three of the four gunshot wounds Julian was suffering from and Carlos hated him with a passion.

He cleared his throat and went to open the right-hand drawer. He pulled out the tray and stared for a moment at the body bag.

"Hey, Davey," he finally managed to say. "I'm so sorry. It's…it's my fault you're…you're here."

Tears fell down Carlos' cheeks in droves as he unzipped the bag and saw the face of his friend. He'd lost friends and colleagues before, but David had been on his team; his responsibility.

He pulled up a stool and just talked. "Julian is…he's hurt really bad. Corinthos and Butler, they both…they both shot him. I don't know if…he took one in the head, Davey. I don't know if he's gonna come through this one."

"He's tough," a voice sounded from behind. "He'll make it."

Carlos turned and saw Lucas. The young man looked eerily like old photos Carlos had seen of Julian's original face. There was no denying who Lucas Jones' biological father was.

Lucas stepped into the morgue and pulled out another stool and sat down. "I'm sorry about your friend there."

Carlos nodded in acknowledgement. "Me, too. I should've protected him, but…"

"I thought he was a mobster, too, you know, my father," Lucas said. "All my life, he was this ghost who'd been a…a terrible person. Now, I mean…when Alexis called me to come to the hospital and I learned the truth…"

Carlos waited for him to finish. When he didn't, Carlos spoke. "I've known your father a long time; worked with him for a long time, too. He's a good man, Lucas. He made mistakes, lots of them. We all have. He tried to make up for those mistakes. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but he _tried_."

Lucas sighed. "Patrick's taking him back to surgery."

"Why?" Carlos questioned, worried.

"In layman's terms, his brain is still swelling and it's pressing against his skull," Lucas explained. "If that continues, he'll…everything from severe brain damage to death is a possibility."

"Isn't that already a possibility?" Carlos wanted to know.

"Yeah, it is," Lucas acknowledged. "Let me put it this way; if the swelling continues and Patrick doesn't remove more of the skull, severe brain damage is a _certainty_ and death is a distinct _probability_."

Both men were quiet as Lucas looked around and noticed the tag on the other drawer. He pointed to it.

"Was that guy involved in…?" he let the question hang.

Carlos nodded. "That guy in there, Shawn Butler; that's the guy that put the bullet in your dad's head."

Lucas pondered that for a moment. "Is it wrong that I…that I'm glad he's dead?"

Carlos smirked. "No, kid, it's not wrong. I'm glad he's dead, too. I wish Sonny had gone down with him."

Sonny Corinthos was a sore spot for Lucas. He had never liked his sister's ex-husband, even when they'd been married. As a child, he'd feared Sonny. As a teenager, he'd despised him. He understood what Sonny's business was and he feared for Carly, Michael and Morgan. They'd all been harmed at some point because of Sonny's business.

"Was Sonny even hurt at all?" Lucas wanted to know.

Carlos nodded. "He was grazed in the right shoulder. Not much more than a scratch."

"Figures," Lucas muttered.

Carlos stood and took one last look at David. "Rest in peace, Davey. I'll make sure Trish and the kids never want for anything."

He closed the drawer and rested a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Come on, kid. Let's get out of here."

Carlos and Lucas walked out together; both sorry David Johnson was dead and equally glad that Shawn Butler no longer walked the Earth.

/

**ICU Waiting Room**

**4PM February 2, 2014**

/

Alexis was pacing back and forth when Patrick stepped into the waiting room. He took off his surgical cap and heaved a big sigh as he sat down. All at once, Alexis, Sam and Lucas pierced him with intense, questioning gazes.

"Well?" Sam was the first to speak.

"He's stable at the moment," Patrick revealed. "It was…touch and go for a while. He coded on the table twice."

"How much more bone did you remove?" Lucas asked.

"Not too much, actually," he said. "I did another CT of his brain before I went back in and it revealed some areas of hydrocephalus. I removed one more small section of skull and we were able to drain most of the fluid."

"So, the…fluid was causing the increase in his ICP?" Alexis questioned.

"Correct," Patrick answered. "So, we inserted a shunt which will help with drainage of that fluid and hopefully keep any further swelling to a minimum."

"What are his chances, Patrick?" Sam wanted to know, her voice rough with emotion. "Honestly?"

"Any brain injury is extremely serious," he started. "Penetrating cranial injuries caused by gunshot wounds are…the mortality rate is approximately 92% overall. 72% succumb to their injuries at the scene of the injury and a further 19% die later. Patients with these types of injuries are at further risk of complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation and…"

"What the hell does that mean?" Alexis blurted out.

"It has to do with clotting, Alexis," Lucas answered before Patrick could. "It leads to small blood clots forming in the blood vessels in the body, including the brain. Basically, it can lead to abnormal bleeding in lots of places, including surgical wounds."

Patrick agreed with a nod. "It can also disrupt normal blood flow to other organs which can cause malfunction in those organs, ultimately leading to multiple and total organ failure. Another issue is pulmonary edema; fluid on the lungs. Right now, there are a lot of things that can go wrong and very few things that can go right. Now, Julian is relatively young and in very good physical shape, which are points in his favor. To answer your question, Sam…right now I would put his chance at survival somewhere around five to seven percent."

A sob tore from Alexis' throat. "I need to see him."

Patrick stood and ushered her out of the waiting room and down the hall into the ICU. He walked with her to Julian's room.

"Take all the time you want," he told her. "We won't stick to the fifteen minutes."

Despite knowing the extent of his injuries, Alexis was shocked by what she saw. The entire left side of Julian's head was covered in bandages. His left eye was completely black from congealed blood that had flowed into his eye socket from the gunshot wound. A chest tube exited the right side of his chest. The mechanical sound of the artificial ventilation system pounded in her ears as she focused on the tube in his mouth and the tape securing it. A blood pressure cuff was secured to his right upper arm. Beneath the plain white sheet Alexis could see the bandages that covered his chest and abdomen wounds. A pulse oximeter was attached to his right fingertip.

She pulled the chair close to his bed and carefully took his left hand in her right. She carefully lifted his hand a bit and placed a kiss on his fingers and then rested his hand against her cheek as she closed her eyes.

She remembered the touch of his hands on her skin from less than twenty-four hours earlier. She remembered the vibrancy in his eyes, the _life_ in his eyes as he'd made love to her. Now, there was nothing.

She brushed away a few tears as new ones fell down her cheeks.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can I want you to know that I…I love you, too," she whispered to him. "When you left earlier, you promised you'd come back to me and I…I so very much want you to come back to me. I want you to get to know Sam and Lucas and to see Danny grow up and to meet Cameron. But, if it's too…too hard and you're in too much pain, I…I want you to know it's okay for…for you to…to let go."

She dissolved into quiet sobs as she continued to hold his hand, not realizing that Sam, Lucas and Elizabeth were standing in the doorway.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

/

"Mom," Sam called softly as she and Lucas entered the room; Elizabeth still standing in the doorway.

Alexis looked up and wiped her eyes but did not let go of Julian's hand. She noticed Elizabeth in the doorway and knew she must have heard the comment about Cameron. Alexis wished with everything she had that Julian could be with her for the conversation she was going to have with the young nurse.

"Sam, Lucas, can the two of you sit with your father while I speak with Elizabeth?" she asked them.

"Yeah, of course," Lucas answered.

Sam took Alexis' vacated chair while Lucas used the one on Julian's other side. Sam grasped her father's hand and gently ran her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand.

"Julian…Dad, it's me, Sam," she said quietly. "I hope you can hear me. I'm here, okay? I'm not leaving you. Mom had to leave for a few minutes, but…but she'll be back. I promise."

Lucas had rested his hand on Julian's wrist. "I'm here, too. Sam's right. We're not gonna leave you. We'll…we'll be right here."

/

While Sam and Lucas were talking to their father, Alexis had stepped outside into the hallway to speak with Elizabeth.

"Is there somewhere more…private we can talk?" Alexis inquired.

"Sure," Elizabeth said as she led Alexis into the nurses' lounge in the back of the ICU.

Both women said down and Alexis gave her a small smile. "I can only imagine how curious you are as to why I mentioned Cameron in there."

Elizabeth didn't speak, just waited for an explanation. Alexis reached into her purse and pulled out the photo of Julian at twenty-one and then took out another photo she kept of Zander at just a year or two older. She placed them both down on the table in front of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked at the pictures and then back at Alexis. "I don't understand; it's two pictures of Zander. But, I don't recognize any of the people with him in this one."

Alexis smiled softly. "Well, there's a reason for that. The first picture isn't of Zander, its Julian when he was twenty-one years old. Those people are his parents, sister and brother."

Elizabeth was visibly shocked. "Oh, my…wow, so Zander was…Julian's son?"

Alexis nodded. "There's more to it than that, though. You've known Nikolas long enough to have heard most of the stories about the Cassadine family and the…the terrible things they've done over the years."

At her nod, Alexis continued.

"Elizabeth, Zander and Sam are…_were_ twins," she revealed. "I don't remember giving birth to Zander, and I only saw Sam for a few moments before…before she was taken away from me."

"How do you…how do you know he's…that he was your son?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Alexis began. "The moment I met Zander, I knew…I felt a connection to him, like I'd met him before. Now, I look at him in this picture and I can see so much of Sam, and vice versa."

Elizabeth studied the photos of Julian and Zander. They really did look a lot alike. She got up and walked over to her locker and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She sat back down and pulled out a photograph of Cameron and put it down on the table between the photos of Zander and Julian. It was like looking at triplets, born twenty years apart.

"Wow," Elizabeth said softly. "He looks just like them both. I never…I have a picture of Zander in Cam's room and I never really noticed until just now how much Cam actually resembles his father."

Alexis took a deep breath. "I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye on a lot of issues, but…if you'll allow it, I would love for Cameron to be included in our family; to be his grandmother."

Elizabeth gave her a genuine smile. "Alexis, whatever _issues_ we've had, they're in the past. God knows my parents haven't been any kind of presence in my boys' lives. None of them have their father's. Cameron would love it."

Alexis reached across the table and rested her hand on Elizabeth's. "I want you to know that the offer includes you, Jake and Aidan as well."

The young woman was overwhelmed. "I…I don't even know what to say. What about Sam?"

Alexis knew of the struggles between her eldest daughter and Elizabeth; most centered on Jason. Perhaps with Jason gone the two women could find a way to co-exist for the sake of their sons.

"Let me handle my daughter," Alexis told her. "She understands family a lot better now than she used to."

"I certainly didn't understand it at all when I first came to Port Charles," Elizabeth commented. "If I ever spoke to my mother, she would tell me that having a one-night-stand and getting pregnant is exactly what she expected of me. But, I wouldn't trade that night with Zander for anything because I…I have Cam."

Alexis could understand that. "I wouldn't trade any time I spent with my son, either. My only wish, _two wishes_, are that I had known he _was_ my son and that I could have saved him from himself."

"I miss him," Elizabeth suddenly blurted. "I never realized how much I actually miss him. He was my friend. That's what I miss the most about him. He listened and he didn't judge. He was a lot like Jason in that respect. It was just so…easy with Zander. He would have loved Cameron."

"He _did_ love Cameron," Alexis told her. "He did. He came to me right after you told him you were pregnant. He was scared, but he decided that he wanted to figure out how to be a father. The forces in his life just didn't allow it."

Elizabeth was quiet for a while before she exhaled and stood. "I'd better get back to work. Listen, thank you for…for telling me about Zander and for wanting Cameron to be a part of your family. I need to talk to him about his father and kind of…ease him into the idea of all this before we…"

Alexis nodded. "Take all the time you want. Julian has a long fight ahead of him and I…I'd love for him to be able to see Cameron the first time Cameron sees him."

The two women shared a hug as Elizabeth went back to work and Alexis headed back to Julian's room.

/

Sam and Lucas were still sitting with their father. They'd been making small talk with each other. Sam continued to hold Julian's hand. Lucas found himself playing with the hospital ID band on his right wrist.

"Do you think he'll still want to know me when he finds out I'm gay?" Lucas suddenly blurted out.

Sam was a bit startled by the question, but answered as honestly as possible. "Why wouldn't he? You're his son. All he's going to want is for you to be happy and healthy, and you are."

"I'm not exactly what a macho, tough WSB agent would want in a son," he said.

"Lucas Jones, why would you think that?" Sam admonished her little brother. "You graduated high school early, college early and you finished medical school in half the time it normally takes. You have a medical degree at twenty-four years old. You're super smart, handsome, and athletic and you have impeccable manners. What man _wouldn't_ want a son like you?"

Lucas laughed softly, a few tears gathering in the corner of his dark eyes. "Thanks for saying that."

Sam looked at Julian as she spoke next. "When he finds out some of the things I've done, you being gay won't even register."

"What could you have done that's so bad?"

_Maybe saying it all while he's in a coma will be easier_, Sam thought as she continued to gaze at her badly injured father.

"My father, my _adoptive_ father Cody McCall taught me how to be a con artist," he began speaking her eyes drifting back and forth between Julian and Lucas. "I learned to run scams, pick pockets and generally how to cause chaotic mischief."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Lucas commented. "I mean, you don't do those things now. You're a PI."

Sam snorted in disgust. "If only it ended there."

Sam went on to explain about her adoptive brother Danny, her adoptive mother Evelyn Bass and the house fire that had killed her. She told the tale of running scams to make money for her Danny, including the five men she married and swindled out of a lot of money. She explained meeting Jax, and Sonny and all about baby Lila and when she discovered Alexis was her mother. She talked at length about Jason's affair with Elizabeth and watching Jake be kidnapped and all of the horrible things she did and tried to do to Elizabeth as a result of her jealousy and anger. She spoke about Lucky Spencer and her relationship with him. Last, but not least, she told her father and brother about her own affair with Ric Lansing; her stepfather at the time.

"What do you think of your big sister now?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

Lucas immediately reached across Julian and grabbed Sam's hand. He gently rested their joined hands on their father's stomach.

"I think…everyone makes mistakes," he started. "I think you were hurt, and scared. I think you got an incredibly raw deal by being taken from your mom when you were a baby and placed into a really, really bad situation with people who had no business being parents. I think you were so used to being on your own it took you a _long_ time to trust people. I also think you've done a remarkable job in turning your life around. You and Alexis, I mean, the two of you are so close now, right?"

Sam tried to smile. "Yeah, we are. Took a lot to get there. She forgave me so much more than I deserve."

Lucas shook his head. "I don't believe that. I think everyone deserves forgiveness. If you're truly sorry for the things you've done, and you've tried your best to set things right, then forgiveness has been earned."

"I spent a lot of time blaming Elizabeth for Jason's affair with her," Sam spoke. "In reality, I had no right to blame anyone but myself. Jason had come to the house to see me and instead he saw…he saw me having…saw me with Ric. He didn't go to Elizabeth on his own, I drove him there with my actions. Everything that went down was my fault. I _started_ it all because I was angry at my mother. It just all seems so stupid now."

"Sam, we've all done things we aren't proud of," Lucas told her. "But, it's how we deal with those things and what we do _next_ that really matters."

"Pretty insightful, little brother," Sam quipped.

Lucas chuckled. "Look, I've done lots of things I wish I hadn't. When I first moved to Seattle, I was…still trying to figure out who I was. I mean, I knew I was gay and I had admitted that to myself and my family, but…I still didn't really know what it meant in terms of my day-to-day life. I had one-night-stands. I…there were people I cared about but hurt anyway because I wasn't ready to make any sort of commitment."

"We're a pair, huh?" she joked.

Lucas laughed with her before he got serious again. "What was your brother like?"

Sam smiled sadly. "Danny was…he was sweet and he was so trusting. When we were on the run and I was scamming people to make money to take care of both of us, he never…he had such faith in me. He was my big brother, but…he trusted me to take care of him. His mental disabilities were never a burden. He was like a little kid most of the time."

"You miss him," Lucas said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do. I miss having a big brother. But, I'm very excited to have a little brother."

He smiled. "I've always been the little brother. First there was BJ. She was…so full of life. I hadn't been with my parents for very long and I was so young that I don't remember a lot about her, but…I remember that she was always smiling and happy. I used to…to cry when she'd have to leave in the mornings for school. BJ _loved_ school; made it all the more ironic that she…that she died on the way to school. I remember, on the weekends, we used to curl up under a blanket on the couch and watch cartoons and eat dry cereal. When she died, I…I was so little that I didn't really understand what had happened. I just…missed her."

"Danny and I did that, too," Sam commented. "He loved Tom and Jerry."

"Then Carly blew into town and tore everything apart," he said next. "I hate to make the comparison, but…"

Sam interrupted. "…but Carly slept with your dad, which broke up your family."

"Yep," Lucas said with a nod. "It took a long time after I found out that Carly was my sister for me to actually even want to be around her. We're okay now, but it wasn't easy."

The siblings continued to talk quietly with one another, each sneaking glances at their father; both hoping for some sort of reaction, some sign that he could and did hear them.

"Nothing worth having is ever easy, Lucas," Alexis said as she stepped back into the room, having heard Lucas' words.

Lucas nodded and stood slowly. "I have to be going."

Sam stood as well and the two siblings shared a tender hug. Sam kissed his cheek as they let go. "See you around, little brother."

He kissed her forehead, reached out and gave Alexis' shoulder a squeeze and then went to Julian's right side and bent down. He whispered something so softly that neither Sam nor Alexis could hear, and then he left the room.

Alexis and Sam both sat back down. "What did you and Lucas talk about?"

Sam shrugged. "Everything. I…I told him all about my…my past; the horrible things I've done. I was half hoping Jul…_Dad_ could hear me. Thought telling him like this might be easier."

"Was it?"

Sam chuckled. "Not really. I was still nervous. I kept imagining he'd wake up and…tell me that he didn't want me to be his daughter. It feels good that Lucas knows and he's still happy to be my brother."

Alexis smiled at her daughter before turning her attention back to Julian. She had his hand in hers once again while the other hand was on his shoulder, rubbing gentle circles. She looked at the machines; the ventilator, the heart monitor. The steady beeping was the only thing that kept her from completely breaking down; that and the fact that she knew Julian needed her strength.

"He's gonna die, isn't he?" Sam suddenly asked, sounding like a scared, lost little girl.

Alexis met her stare. "I don't know, sweetie. I just…don't know."

/

_The lights were blinding they were so bright. Julian blinked several times in an attempt to get his eyes to focus. When they finally did, he was taken aback. _

_Standing before him was his brother, Evan. _

"_You're dead," Julian muttered. _

_Evan Jerome smiled at his baby brother. "So are you, little brother."_

_Julian turned around and he could see himself lying in a bed, machines all around. He saw Alexis and Sam and Lucas sitting with him. He heard Alexis' words about it being okay to let go if he hurt too much. _

"_What happened?"_

_Evan had stepped next to his brother. "You were shot in the head in the confrontation with Sonny Corinthos."_

_Julian couldn't force his eyes to leave the scene before him._

/

Sam and Alexis both jumped when the heart monitor started beeping wildly, as did the ventilator.

Elizabeth and another nurse ran into the room.

"Alexis, Sam, you both need to leave," Elizabeth ordered as she pushed the blue button above Julian's head.

_Code Blue, ICU 12. Code Blue, ICU 12._

Sam started crying when she heard the page overhead. Alexis wrapped her arms around her daughter, trying to comfort them both.

/

"_Daddy!"_

_Julian's heart broke in his chest as he heard Sam yell for him; calling him daddy. He watched Alexis wrap her in a tight hug and all he wanted in that moment was to take them both into his arms and never let them go. _

_Evan rested a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to watch this. You can come with me now and you'll never feel pain, or sorrow or heartbreak again, little brother."_

"_I love them," Julian said through his tears. _

"_I know you do," Evan responded. "They love you. They always will."_

_Julian watched Elizabeth Webber performing CPR. He watched Patrick Drake shock him. The same processes repeated over and over. The flat line and steady beep of the machines echoed in his ears._

"_Come on, Jules, let's go," Evan persuaded. "They'll be okay, I promise. They have each other. They'll be okay."_

/

"Come on, damn it!" Patrick yelled. "Breathe! Okay, one more time. Charge paddles to three-fifty. Clear."

He shocked Julian one last time as Alexis and Sam looked on from outside the room; both women with tears pouring down their cheeks.

/

_Julian looked around as he and Evan walked. He saw his mother, Monique. He saw Cheryl. He even saw his dog, Shelby, who he'd had as a child. He saw David Johnson, his WSB colleague. _

"_Where's Zander?"_

_Evan looked at him oddly. _

"_Zander? My son? Sam's twin brother, Zander? Where is he?"_

"_Zander's not here, Jules," he answered. _

"_He died ten years ago," Julian said. "What do you mean he's not here? Surely he's not…"_

_Monique moved over to her son. "Zander isn't here, my son, because Zander isn't dead. He's alive."_

_Without thought, without hesitation Julian turned and ran. He ran as fast and far as he could until he reached the point at which he began. _

"_Think about this, Julian," Evan warned. "It won't be easy. You've got a huge fight ahead of you. Your injuries are severe."_

_He turned and faced his brother and mother. "I can't….I can't stay here. My family, they…they haven't given up on me and I can't give up on them."_

_Monique smiled and hugged her son tightly while pressing a loving kiss to his cheek. Then Evan grasped his brother in a heartfelt embrace. _

"_You've always been the stubborn one."_

/

Patrick threw the paddles down and peeled his gloves off and did the same with them. He wiped his hands down his face before looking up at the clock.

"Time of death, seven-thirty-fi…"

/

"_No!" Julian yelled as he leapt through the misty clouds._

/

Alexis and Sam were sobbing. Only their arms around each other kept both women on their feet.

"Patrick, I've got a pulse," Elizabeth interrupted his call of time of death. "He's back. You…you got him back."

Patrick took a deep breath. "I want an EEG and an MRI of his brain, stat. What the hell made him code?"

Elizabeth stayed with Julian while Patrick headed for Alexis and Sam and the other nurse went to order the tests Patrick wanted.

Patrick pulled Alexis and Sam to him. He hurt for them as much as they were hurting for Julian.

"Come on, let's go sit down," he urged as he guided them to chairs across from Julian's room.

"We got him back," he started with. "I'm ordering some tests to try and find out what made him go into cardiac arrest in the first place."

"What might have…why?" Sam barely got out.

Patrick shook his head. "I honestly don't know, that's why I ordered the MRI. It'll tell me if he had an aneurysm or a stroke. The EEG measures and records all electrical activity in the brain. It'll tell me if he's…"

"If he's what?" Alexis asked.

"It'll tell me if Julian is brain-dead."

"Oh, God," Alexis sobbed and buried her face in her hands.

Sam grabbed her mother. They held tight to each other, both as fearful as they had ever been in their lives.


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

/

**The Following Afternoon**

**February 3, 2014**

/

"So, there is brain activity?" Alexis asked as Patrick stood at the foot of Julian's bed.

He nodded. "Yes, the EEG shows brain activity; not a lot. But, that can be attributed to the coma he's in at the moment. Brain waves are faster when the person is awake and slower when asleep. Also, the MRI didn't show me any signs of aneurysm or stroke."

"So, what caused the cardiac arrest?" Sam questioned.

Patrick merely shrugged. "I'll be honest; I…have no idea. At this point, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. His respiratory system seems to be improving, so I'm considering removing the vent in the next few days. If his ICP shows improvement, we can think about starting to bring him out of the coma, slowly. It's up to him right now."

"So, he might really be okay when he wakes up?" Sam asked, the hope in her voice evident.

"It's still way too early, Sam," Patrick told her. "This is going to be a long process of waking him up and then evaluating his level of function. You're both just going to have to be patient."

"Not our strong suit," Alexis quipped. "Thank you, Patrick."

He nodded as he turned and left.

"You hear that, Julian?" Alexis asked softly; Julian's hand in hers. "It's up to you. You have to fight."

Sam leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Yeah, Dad, you have to fight. Fight for us; your family."

/

**London, England**

**WSB Headquarters**

**February 3, 2014**

/

It was early evening in London. Sonny had been booked into the WSB system and was now in a holding cell. His shoulder was aching from the bullet that grazed him.

"You ready to talk yet, Sonny?" Frisco asked as he came to stand in front of the cell.

Sonny smirked; arrogant. "What would you like me to say, Agent Jones?"

Frisco smiled. "I wasn't sure if anyone told you or not, but your friend Shawn Butler is dead. As are several more of your men."

A slight flicker of something crossed Sonny's face; remorse possibly. Then it was gone as quick as it had appeared.

"That's too bad, Shawn was a good man," Sonny finally uttered.

Frisco scoffed. "Sure he was. Just like you are, right?"

Sonny shrugged passively. "I haven't done anything wrong."

Frisco stepped right up to the cell bars; his face mere inches from Sonny's. "Listen up, Corinthos. This isn't the PCPD. There's no DA or corrupt judge here to get you out of this. We don't even have to provide you with an attorney; don't have to let you _have_ an attorney at all. We can keep you here, locked up in this tiny little cell with no doors and no windows for as long as we want. My advice is this; start talking. It'll be easier for you in the long run. Might even get you a deal you can live with."

Sonny felt his throat tighten at the mention of no doors or windows. His dark eyes began to wander a bit as nervousness set in. His hands began to shake. He'd managed to ignore it until that moment.

"What do you…what do you want to know?" he bit out.

Frisco smirked. "Nothing that can't wait until later. Have a good sleep, Sonny."

With that, Frisco walked out. Sonny's breathing had become erratic and he closed his eyes as he sat down on the cot. He tried to calm his heartbeat and steady his hands. He knew he wasn't getting out of that room for quite a while and for the first time in his life, he felt like he might be in big trouble; with no discernable way out.

/

_**Cassadine Island**_

_**April 21, 2004**_

/

_Zander looked at Mikkos as if he'd grown a second head. _

"_What the hell do you mean I'm the prince? How is that even possible?" he wanted to know. "I'm not the eldest son of the eldest son. That's how it works, isn't it?"_

_Mikkos smiled patiently. "Yes, that is how it works, in most instances. Sit, let me tell you a story."_

_Zander sat down and indicated he was ready. _

"_Many years ago, my…lovely wife Helena had an extramarital affair with a man named Sebastian Niarkos which last several years. Niarkos is the biological father of Stavros and Stefan."_

"_Okay," Zander said. "I still don't…"_

_Mikkos held up his hand. "For hundreds of years there has always been an eldest son, until now. While males are favored, a daughter may inherit."_

"_Like Queen Elizabeth," Zander referenced. "She didn't have any brothers."_

_Mikkos nodded. "Exactly. It is the same for our family. Helena wished for me to believe that I had two sons because she hated Natasha. Helena never wanted, and I'm sure she still doesn't want Natasha to inherit anything. By virtue of being my daughter, Natasha is a princess; you are a prince. You are_ the _prince."_

_Zander shook his head as he stood. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he again stared out at the sea. _

"_I'm no prince, Gramps," he finally said without turning around. "I'm a…I'm a criminal. That's who you saved."_

_Mikkos wheeled himself next to Zander. "I am aware of the things you've done, Alexander. I myself am guilty of many crimes. It does not make me less of a prince, nor does it make you less of one."_

_Exasperated, Zander turned to Mikkos and looked down at the man. "What do you hope to gain by keeping me here? Why'd you bring me here in the first place?"_

"_To heal, of course," Mikkos said. "You nearly died."_

"_I'm healing pretty fast," Zander pointed out. "When can I go home to Port Charles? I want to see my mother."_

"_Oh, my dear boy," Mikkos began. "You're not going home; not ever. Your mother must never know you are alive."_

/

Alexis and Sam had gone to the cafeteria when physical therapy came into Julian's room. They were going to exercising his legs and arms daily so as to prevent, or at least drastically diminish the chance that his muscles would atrophy while he remains comatose.

"Look who I found," Lucas said as he walked up to the table with Molly.

Alexis smiled. "Hi, sweetie. How was school today?"

Molly shrugged as she and Lucas sat down. "It was okay. I couldn't really concentrate; kept thinking about Julian."

"How is he today?" Lucas questioned as he absently reached across the table and took one of Sam's french fries off her plate.

"Hey!" Sam exclaimed.

Lucas just laughed.

Alexis smiled. If there was one good thing in all the mess, it was that Sam and Lucas were connecting.

"So, Lucas, what are your plans?" Alexis wondered. "Are you staying in Port Charles?"

"I don't know yet," he answered honestly. "I graduated from med school in December. I've done some interviews already for the matching program and submitted my rank-order list to the NRMP. Residency begins in late June or early July, but…"

"But?" Molly asked.

Lucas looked over at the teenager. "But I'm not so sure I want to be a doctor anymore."

"Excuse me?" they heard from behind them.

Lucas turned and faced his mother. "Hi, Mom."

Bobbie Spencer looked angry. Lucas stood up and spoke quietly.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"No, we cannot talk about this later," she said. "Your father and I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on college and medical school for you and now you don't _think_ you want to be a doctor. Lucas, I…"

"Mom!" Lucas raised his voice. "Not here and not now. Not when my father…"

Bobbie's eyes flamed in barely contained rage. "Julian Jerome is _not_ your father. My God, Lucas, what would…"

Lucas gave an apologetic glance at Alexis, Sam and Molly before grasping Bobbie's elbow in his hand and guiding her out of the hospital cafeteria.

"That's not gonna be a pleasant conversation," Molly quipped.

Sam shook her head. "No, it isn't. I feel bad for him."

Alexis spoke softly. "I understand Bobbie's feelings. All she knows of Julian is that he was a ruthless mobster. She doesn't know what we know and now Lucas is in a position of having to lie to his mother. I don't envy either of them right now."

The three Davis girls continued to talk softly as they finished their meals. Alexis was going back to Julian's room while Sam was going to drive Molly home and go pick Danny up from his babysitter.

/

"I can't believe you, Lucas," Bobbie said as she and Lucas walked outside of the hospital.

Lucas sighed. "Mom, listen, I…"

"No, you listen," she snapped at him. "You are not going to back out of being a doctor. You've spent too much time and worked too hard to back out now."

Lucas sat down and took a deep breath. "Things change, Mom. I've done all these interviews and I've submitted my rank-order list and the more I think about it, the less I feel like it's what I want."

Bobbie closed her eyes. "Does this sudden change have to do with Julian Jerome?"

Lucas chuckled. "No, Mom, it doesn't have to do with my father."

"That man is _not_…"

"Yes, he is," Lucas cut her off. "Whether you like it or not, Julian Jerome is my father. He may not be my dad, but he is my father."

He stood then and took Bobbie's hands in his. He wanted very much to be able to tell her the truth. Since that wasn't possible, he settled on a version of the truth that he truly hoped would calm her nerves and lessen her fear.

"I know you're scared," he began. "Truth be told, so am I, a little. I don't know Julian and he…he doesn't know me. There are things he doesn't know about me and I'm worried he won't like them when he finds out. I'm sure if he was conscious right now, he'd feel the same in regards to me. All I want, Mom, is the chance to find out, and to give him that chance, too. We _both_ deserve it. I don't want to base any decision I make on whether or not to let him into my life on only the things I've heard about him. I have to discover him for myself."

Bobbie had a few tears in her eyes. "He's not a good man, Lucas. He's in the hospital because he was shot in a mob fire fight."

Lucas shook his head. "Mom, I…he's fighting for his life and I _need_ you to understand why I have to be here with him. I never thought I'd ever have a chance to ask him anything. He was dead and gone. Now, he's here and there's a chance, however small it may be right now, that he'll wake up and I can ask him everything I always wanted to. I need you to understand that it's important to me."

"I want to understand, Lucas, I _do_," she said in a tiny voice. "I just want you to be safe. I don't want to lose my son."

Lucas hugged his mother. "You aren't ever gonna lose me, Mom; not to Julian and not to his life, I promise. I'll always be yours and Dad's son and Carly's brother. That won't ever change. But, I do want to know Julian and Sam and Danny. They're my family, too."

A few tears slid down Bobbie's cheeks as she held on to her tall son. It didn't escape her in that moment that Lucas was taller than Tony; tall like Julian. His eyes were dark like Tony's, but the shade was Julian's. The shape of his face wasn't like hers or Tony's. Lucas greatly resembled Julian.

"Don't cry, Mom," Lucas whispered and held her tighter.

Bobbie pulled away after several long moments and wiped her tears. She then gave Lucas a piercing glare.

"Explain to me why you don't want to be a doctor."


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

/

They both sat back down. Bobbie could see her son struggling with something. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

"Whatever it is, Lucas, you can tell me," she told him.

He nodded and began quietly. "A few months ago, a friend of mine who's in his second year of residency lost a patient. He did everything right. He ran every test, looked at every result. The attending physician backed him up and still the patient died. Mom, I've never seen someone as heartbroken as he was when that little girl died."

Bobbie squeezed his hand. "Honey, sometimes we do everything we can, and…it's just not enough. Sometimes the patient dies. You can't fix it and you can't change it."

"I know that, Mom," he said as he ran his hands through his hair. "I just…he quit a week later; walked out on his residency. I kept wondering if I was ready, and more importantly if I was _willing_ to be in the same position. The more I thought about the more I realized that the answer was no. I don't _want_ to be responsible for anyone's life but my own, Mom. I don't want to make those life and death decisions."

"What about all the patients you'll be able to save?" Bobbie asked. "Are you willing to give that up?"

Lucas sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know, Mom. I just know that I _can't_ be a doctor. I wanted it for all the wrong reasons."

"What reasons?" she wanted to know.

Lucas shrugged. "BJ. Dad. I never stopped to wonder if I wanted to be a doctor for _me_. I wanted to make everyone else proud. Now I have to figure out what I actually want for myself."

Bobbie nodded slowly. "Well, I can't say I'm pleased with your decision, but…you are a grown man. It's your decision. I'll support you."

Lucas smiled and got up to hug his mom.

/

Sam and Molly were driving back to the lake house after having picked up Danny from his babysitter.

"Are you gonna take him to see Julian at the hospital?" Molly questioned.

Sam shook her head. "No, I don't want him to see his grandfather like that. Maybe when…_if_ he wakes and we see what we're dealing with; maybe then I'll take him."

"Mom's been really upset," Molly then commented. "She's been so mad at him and now…"

Sam wanted very much to tell Molly the truth; _why_ their mother wasn't angry with Julian anymore.

"Sometimes things we think are important just aren't," Sam said. "Mom was angry, but when Julian was hurt, it didn't matter anymore."

"She cares about _your_ dad."

Sam agreed, yet even as she said her next words she knew the day would come when Molly would learn the truth and question this moment over and over again.

"Yes, she does," Sam began. "But here's the thing you need to understand because I hear the accusation in your tone of voice. Whatever Mom's issues with Ric are, she'll always care about him for one reason; he gave her you."

Molly smiled a little. "I guess."

Sam pulled up into the driveway at the house and watched Molly grab her things and hop out of the vehicle.

"Get your homework done," Sam instructed. "No talking on the phone all night with TJ. Call me if you need anything."

Molly smirked. "Yes, Mother. Bye, Danny."

The little boy waved at his aunt as Molly ran into the house and shut the door behind her.

"Well, let's get us home, little man," she said to Danny as she backed out of the driveway and drove off to her penthouse.

/

Alexis was seated next to Julian's bed, again with his hand in hers.

"I really want you to wake up," she told him. "I know I said that if it was too hard or it hurt too much that it was okay for you to let go, but I…I've changed my mind. I want you to fight to come back to me like you promised me you would. I want you to come back so Sam can have her father. I want you to be around to watch Danny grow up and to get to know Lucas."

She kept sneaking glances at his face for any sign; even the tiniest inkling that he could hear her.

"I'm looking forward to that vacation you promised," she continued. "I was thinking somewhere tropical. Danny would love the ocean. That little boy loves the water, like his mother. Bath time is his favorite time of day. All my girls love the water. So did Zander."

For hours, Alexis spoke about her daughters, telling Julian stories. She told him as much about Zander as she could remember. She relayed stories of Danny's bath time adventures.

Finally, as night was falling, Alexis raised his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "I'll be back, I promise."

She stood and was just about to turn around when she saw the smallest of movements out of the corner of her eye.

She saw Julian's finger move. She knew then, deep in her soul that he was going to be okay in the end.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

/

**Three Weeks Later**

**February 18, 2014**

/

After dropping Molly off at school at just past seven o'clock Alexis had gone to her office. She'd been ignoring the piles of work on her desk ever since Julian had been shot. She'd rescheduled appointments with clients, handed cases off to Diane and the other partners and she'd basically forgotten she was an attorney at all.

She took a deep breath as she signed one last piece of paper and looked up at the clock. She was surprised to find that it was nearly noon. She'd been hard at work for nearly five hours.

She tossed her glasses on the table and stood up from her desk. As she stretched her back muscles, her cell phone rang. She looked down at the screen; her caller ID telling her it was Patrick Drake.

She answered immediately. "Patrick? Did something happen to Julian?"

"_Well, yeah, but nothing bad,"_ Patrick told her. _"Do you have time to come over to the hospital?"_

Alexis was already grabbing her purse and walking out the door. "Yeah, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

She pressed the end button and practically ran out of the building to her car.

/

"Ma," Danny called to her mother. "Hungy."

Sam smiled at her little boy. "Hungry, huh? Well, let's go see what we can find in the kitchen."

She was about to pick Danny up when there was a knock on the door. Sam pulled it open and was surprised to see Lucas standing there; coffee and breakfast in hand.

"I hope it's okay I'm here," he said. "Maybe I should have called first."

Sam ushered him in. "Of course it's okay. Danny and I were just about to scour the kitchen for breakfast."

Lucas laughed as he sat down the coffee and food. He took off his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair.

"I stopped at Kelly's and got two specials for you and me and a few pancakes and juice for Danny," he said.

Sam smiled. "Perfect. Danny loves pancakes."

Danny scooted off of the couch and headed over to his mother and uncle. He looked up at Lucas and after a few moments of studying the man, held up his arms.

"Up," he commanded.

Lucas bent down and hoisted the toddler into his arms. "Are you ready for breakfast, buddy boy?"

Danny nodded and Lucas placed him in his booster seat and pushed him up to the table. He then set about cutting up the pancakes for his nephew while Sam sat out hers and Lucas' food and coffee.

"Does he have a sippy cup, Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, in the kitchen. They're in the right-hand cabinet. His favorite is the Superman one."

Lucas went into the kitchen and was back quickly, sippy cup in hand. He poured Danny's apple juice into it and handed it to the boy.

"Looks like you've done this before," Sam commented as she sat down.

Lucas shrugged as he dug into his eggs and toast. "I used to help Carly with Morgan when he was little. I've filled my share of sippy cups over the years."

"So, what brings you by?" she questioned.

Lucas set his fork down. "I wanted to come spend time with my sister and my nephew."

Sam raised her eyebrow. "Is that all?"

He chuckled nervously. "Not exactly. I was…I thought maybe we could talk."

Sam nodded. "Sure. Anything in particular you want to discuss?"

She saw his eyes drift to the photo of Zander she'd placed on her mantle. She knew he was curious.

"I'm not sure I have many answers for questions you have about our brother," she said. "But, I'll try."

Lucas was quiet for a few moments; taking a few small bites of food as he pondered his next words.

"I don't really remember him; didn't know him," he finally said. "I mean, I was a teenager and I remember reading things about him in the paper, but I didn't know him well at all. He got in trouble and he was…he was killed by the police?"

"Yeah, he was," she confirmed as she looked at Danny to be sure he was eating his pancakes. "Suicide by cop. I didn't know Zander, either, not really. I knew him in passing, but that was it."

Lucas didn't say anything.

"Quite a family we have, huh?" Sam said softly.

Lucas looked at her and saw some sadness in her dark eyes; eyes they shared. "Yeah, but I wouldn't trade it, even with all the complications."

Sam smiled as she looked from her brother to her son and back again. "Neither would I."

/

Alexis arrived at the hospital and immediately went to the ICU. Patrick was just coming out of Julian's room when she came around the corner.

"Patrick, what is it?"

The neurosurgeon grinned at her. "It's good news, I promise. I wanted you to know and I thought you'd want to be here to see it."

"See what?" Alexis demanded.

Patrick grasped her shoulders in his hands. "Julian is breathing on his own. I'm taking him off the vent."

Alexis was so shocked she barely reacted. Patrick led her over to the chairs and made her sit down.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I…I was afraid to even _hope_ that he might…"

Patrick patted her hand. "He's fighting, Alexis. He's fighting hard. This is a huge step. I'm going to extubate him in a few minutes. I checked his ICP three hours ago and then again just over an hour ago. It's decreasing. His blood pressure is still fluctuating and still somewhat low, so he's still on the dopamine drip for now. His other medications will continue, but I'm going to start slowly weaning him from the drugs keeping him in the induced coma."

Her eyes met Patrick's. "Is that wise?"

Patrick held out his hands. "I honestly don't know. Signs indicate that his body is slowly beginning the recovery process. His blood pressure is a concern. But the fact that his ICP is decreasing is encouraging. As that continues and we wean him off the coma-inducing meds, we'll get a better picture of what we're dealing with."

"Aren't there dangers with waking him up?" Alexis questioned.

"Lots of things can go wrong, Alexis," Patrick explained. "He could have a seizure, his brain could begin swelling again. As I said, he's not maintaining his blood pressure and that concerns me. But, the only thing we can do right now is take him off the vent and see what happens as we progress. There are other problems associated with long-term vent patients."

Alexis nodded. She wasn't completely confident, but she believed in Patrick and she certainly believed in Julian's ability to fight.

She watched from just outside the room as Patrick and a nurse pulled the breathing tube from Julian's throat. She heard some coughing, and later Patrick assured her it was just a reflex action of Julian's body rather than him actually be conscious.

Patrick watched the machine monitoring Julian's vital signs for a moment and once he was satisfied that Julian was still breathing well on his own, he came back out into the hallway.

"Okay," he began. "Everything looks good. I've ordered physical therapy to start later today. I want to prevent as much atrophy to his muscles as possible. You can sit with him if you want now."

Alexis walked into the room and sat down in her customary position beside Julian's bed. She couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face. Julian looked better without the tube in his mouth. She noticed some redness around his mouth from where the tube had been taped. His skin was a bit red.

"You're sure taking your time here," she said to him. "Patrick just took you off of the ventilator. He's going to start weaning you off the drugs that are keeping you asleep. Now, when that happens, it's gonna be up to you. I'm going to be here, every step of the way; right beside you."

/

**St. Mark's Cemetery**

/

After leaving Sam's penthouse, Lucas wandered around town and eventually found himself at St. Mark's Cemetery. He'd been there a few times over the years, but not since he was a young teenager; yet he walked with confidence as if he'd done it every day.

He stopped when he came to a grave he hasn't visited in more than a decade.

_**Cheryl Stansbury**_

_**June 3, 1961-October 5, 1992**_

_**Beloved Daughter, Sister & Mother**_

Lucas knelt down and ran his fingers over Cheryl's name. He had no memory of his biological mother at all. He knew she'd died after several days in a coma after a car accident.

"Hi, Mom," he said softly. "Sorry it's been so long."

He felt strange calling anyone but Bobbie that, but he had always chosen to honor his biological mother by acknowledging her as such.

"I wanted to come tell you that…that I met my father," he told her. "He's alive. I was so totally…_stunned_ to find that out when I came face to face with him. He's…different than I expected. He's not the same man that you ran from before I was born. He's really a…a decent man now; a good man. He has been for a long time. He's hurt right now, very badly. I haven't even had a chance to really talk to him and I'm…I'm _so_ scared that I won't get the chance."

He sniffled and tried to hold back his tears. He stood and stuffed his cold hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"I want the…the chance," he cried. "So, if you have…have any pull up there, please…"

He wiped his tears. "I'll be staying in Port Charles for a while so I'll be here to visit you more often. I promise."

With that, he kissed his fingertips, touched her name one more time and walked out of the cemetery.

/

Alexis was still talking to Julian when a young woman walked into the room.

"Hi, I'm Danicia Williams," she said as she held out her hand. "I'm going to be Mr. Jerome's physical therapist."

Alexis shook her hand. "Alexis Davis. What exactly will this entail? How extensive can his therapy be?"

"Not very extensive," she informed her. "We'll be exercising his leg and his arms to keep his muscles from atrophying. Our only goal is to make it easier for him when he wakes up."

Alexis watched as the therapist exercised Julian's leg, bending it at the knee and flexing his thigh muscle. She did the same exercises with his arms. For thirty minutes she put Julian's body through a routine that would be done five times a week until he awakened and was strong enough to do it himself. Alexis made sure she paid attention. She wanted to be able to help him in any way she could and she wasn't real keen on this young woman having her hands all over Julian.

/

After Lucas had left, Sam had decided to take Danny to the park. She bundled the little boy because it was cold outside.

She was pushing him on the swings when she noticed Elizabeth across the park watching her own boys play. Her eyes zeroed in on Cameron. He was almost ten years old and tall for his age. Now that she knew what to look for she could see how much Cameron resembled Zander.

"Hey, Danny-boy, let's go see Elizabeth," Sam said softly as she hefted her son from the swing.

Elizabeth caught sight of Sam approaching her at a slow pace as Danny toddled beside his mother.

"Hi," Sam said as she reached Elizabeth.

Elizabeth returned the greeting.

"Can we talk?" Sam asked her as she watched Danny toddle over to Aidan.

Elizabeth watched as Aidan took Danny's hand and the two boys ran off to play with Jake and Cameron.

"Sure," Elizabeth said.

The two women sat down on a bench where they could see their kids. Sam brushed her hair away from her face.

"My mother told me about your conversation," Sam opened. "I just wanted…I was hoping we could find a way to put everything behind us; all of the horrible things I did."

Elizabeth smirked a bit. "I haven't exactly been a saint, especially towards you. I blamed you for a lot of things, but the truth is Lucky and Jason were both big boys who made their own decisions."

Sam pondered that statement for a few moments. "It took me a long time to stop placing blame on you for Jason's choices. I am so sorry that I let my own selfishness…that beautiful little boy over there could have been hurt so badly because of me."

Elizabeth looked on Jake, her active and happy nearly seven-year-old son; his blonde hair and blue eyes in such contrast to her own combination of dark hair and eyes. Jake had survived his kidnapping and was none the worse for it.

"What do you think Jason would say now?" Elizabeth wondered. "To the two of us?"

Sam smiled. "I think…I _know_ he would want Jake and Danny to know each other. He'd want them to have the chance to be brothers. He'd want us to find a way to make that happen for them."

Elizabeth looked over at her. "Do you think we can?"

Sam shrugged. "No harm in trying. I agree with my mom, I'd love for Cameron to know his dad's side of his family. I also agree with that including you, Jake and Aidan."

Elizabeth didn't say anything for a few long minutes. She watched her boys play; watched them look out for Danny.

"Hey, Cam!" she called out just as Sam had opened her mouth to speak. "Come over here please!"

Cameron, dark curls bouncing as he ran, came to stand in front of his mother. "Watcha need, Mom?"

Elizabeth pulled him close and spoke. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Remember when we talked about your father the other night?"

Cameron nodded. "Yeah, his name was Zander."

"That's right," Elizabeth said as she pointed to Sam. "This is Samantha Morgan. She's Zander's twin sister. Sam is your aunt."

Cameron's eyes lit up and Sam couldn't help but see Julian in the young boy. "You're really my aunt?"

Sam chuckled. "I sure am, Cameron. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said as he stuck out his hand.

Sam grasped it gently, tears unexpectedly gathering in her eyes. "Strong grip ya got there."

"Thanks," Cameron said. "My mom told me that Zander's…that my dad's parents live here in Port Charles, too. Is that right?"

Sam hadn't expected Elizabeth to have told the boy so much already. But, she figured answering a few questions wouldn't hurt.

"Yep, they live here, too," she confirmed.

"Can I meet them?"

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Um, you can meet your grandmother, Alexis, whenever we can set it up. But, your grandfather, he's…"

"He's in the hospital right now, buddy," Sam finished. "He got hurt, but once he's better I know he's gonna want to meet you."

Cameron smiled. "So, I have a grandma and grandpa, an aunt; who else?"

Sam and Elizabeth laughed.

"Well, that little boy you and your brothers are playing with is my son, Danny," Sam told her nephew. "So, he's your cousin. Plus, your dad and I have two other sisters and a brother; Kristina, Molly and Lucas. They're your aunts and uncle."

"Wow," Cameron said in awe. "A whole big family."

If for no other reason than Cameron's happiness, Elizabeth was thankful for Alexis and Sam reaching out to her.

"Can I come visit Danny and you? Can I meet Aunt Kristina, Aunt Molly and Uncle Lucas? Can I…" he rambled before Elizabeth stopped him.

"Cam, chill," she said with a laugh. "Let's take it slow. Now, there's one more thing I want to explain to you. Remember when I told you that Jason had another little boy, not just Jake?"

Cam nodded.

"Well, Danny is the other little boy," Elizabeth explained. "Danny is Jason's son, too, just like Jake."

Cameron looked over onto the playground where Danny was playing in a sandbox with Jake and Aidan. He laughed out loud when Danny dumped a bucket of sand on Aidan's head.

"Cool," he commented.

Sam grinned. "Listen, Cameron; you can come over and visit whenever you want as long as it's okay with your mom."

That was good enough for Cameron. He launched himself at Sam, hugged her tightly for three seconds and then ran back to his brothers and newly discovered cousin.

"That went well," Sam commented.

Elizabeth nodded. "I've been easing him into it. Even before Alexis told me about Zander and Julian Jerome, Cameron had begun asking questions about his _real_ father. He's known for a few years that Lucky wasn't his biological father, but he's always called Lucky dad. Then a few weeks ago, Lucky called and Cameron yelled to me that Lucky was on the phone. I took it and I could tell that Lucky was in tears on the other end. Cam had never referred to him by his name before."

Sam nodded. "I think a lot about the day when Danny will call another man dad."

Elizabeth and she shared a look. "It will break your heart, and then it will heal it in the same breath, Sam. You'll know that your son is gonna be okay, even without his father. Cameron is angry, but he's still young enough that he doesn't really have the vocabulary to express it. Calling the only man he's ever known as his father by his given name is his way of expressing his anger. Cam loves Lucky so much, but he's not here for him. He can't even be here for his own biological son."

Sam reached out and rested her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Well, like I said, the invitation to Cam to be a part of our family extends to you, Jake and Aidan as well. I know when my father wakes up, he'll want to include all three boys, and their mother."

With that, Sam stood, walked over to Danny and let Cam, Jake and Aidan know that he had to go home. She promised all three boys that they could play with Danny another time.

"Come on, guys!" Elizabeth called to her sons. "Time to go home!"

Both mothers and their beloved boys went their separate ways; a new understanding between the two women promising a better future for all of them.

/

"I decided where I want to go when you're better," Alexis was saying to Julian. "I want to go to Europe. I want to go back to places I haven't been to since I was a child. I even want to show you the island where I grew up. Most of it was horrible, but Stefan and I had some good times as well."

"Ms. Davis," a nurse said as she walked in. "Visiting hours end in a couple of minutes."

Alexis nodded. She reached down and grabbed her purse before standing. She bent down and softly kissed Julian's lips.

"There are some amazingly beautiful secluded spots on the beach all around the island," she whispered. "You can make love to me on the beach. I love you."

One last tender kiss touched her lips and then she left, silently promising to be back the next day; every day until he opened his gorgeous dark eyes.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

/

**Three Days Later**

**The Floating Rib**

**February 21, 2014**

/

Carlos downed the last sip of his first beer as Thomas Mathers walked into the dark, danky bar.

He slid into the booth across from Carlos and slid a file across the table. "That's everything I was able to dig up on Ava Jerome's movements during the few weeks after Nina Clay slipped into a coma."

Carlos opened it and flipped through the first couple of pages. "Where was she?"

"Still in the city," Thomas answered as he ordered a beer for himself. "That file has receipts for purchases she made up until six weeks after. There's a DVD copy of old VHS surveillance tapes from the hotel where she was staying. What we _don't_ have is any footage of Ava ever entering the Clay's apartment. We're still combing through the footage from the hospital where Nina Clay was originally taken."

Carlos wanted to prove that Ava was guilty. But if the evidence wasn't there then…

"Give me your gut feeling," Carlos said. "Silas Clay, or Stephen Clay? Which one tried to kill Nina Clay?"

Thomas sighed before taking a gulp of his beer. "Gut feeling? I think it was Silas. Stephen had the means and the opportunity, but…but Silas is the one with the motive. You think it was the brother?"

Carlos nodded. "Maybe I just _want_ it to be the brother. Silas is…he's dating Julian's daughter. He swears it wasn't him, that he loved his wife and never would have hurt her."

Thomas sighed. "Flip to page nineteen in that file. I did a lot of digging on Silas, too."

Carlos flipped through the file and what he saw made his heart race. "Weren't these seen by the NYPD in the original investigation?"

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, the original investigator was an idiot. There were no signs of a struggle on Nina Clay's body when the ambulance got there after Dr. Clay called them. They were no bruises on her body, no scratches, no skin under her fingernails; nothing. The NYPD dropped it; called it an accidental overdose. They never even considered looking at those reports."

Carlos was reading three separate reports on Silas Clay. Each of them were domestic violence claims filed by Nina Clay.

/

_**Cassadine Island**_

_**April 21, 2004**_

/

"_What the hell do you mean she can't know I'm alive?" Zander demanded, rage quickly filling his eyes. _

_Mikkos was ready for the fight from his grandson. "I mean exactly what I say, Alexander. Helena will stop at nothing to ensure that Nikolas remains the Cassadine heir. That includes everything up to an including killing your mother and you if necessary. I am merely trying to protect you both from her psychotic mentality. I will not allow any harm to come to you, your mother or your sisters."_

_Zander snickered. "Listen up, Gramps. I don't need you to protect me from psycho granny, okay? I get that Helena is evil personified, but I can handle her. I want to go home. I can protect my family; my mother, my sisters."_

_Mikkos sighed sadly. "That just is not possible, my boy. But, please, I have been keeping up with news from Port Charles. Ask me anything you want."_

_Zander couldn't help but smile when he thought of Kristina and Molly. He loved those two little girls; now knowing they are his half-sisters. _

"_How are Kristina and Molly?" he asked Mikkos. _

_The old man smiled at the mention of his granddaughters. "Both girls are well. They live in the care of your mother. I do not believe that either of their fathers is much of a presence in their lives."_

_Zander nodded. "Good. They're better off. What about Emily? Emily Quartermaine?"_

_Mikkos understood that the young woman had once been married to his grandson and that things ended badly. He also knew that Zander still carried deep feelings for the Quartermaine girl. He was reluctant to impart the information. _

_Zander could see Mikkos struggling with something. "She's okay, isn't she?"_

_Mikkos shook his head. "No, I'm afraid she isn't. I'm so very sorry, Alexander. Emily Quartermaine has had a recurrence of her breast cancer. From what I gather, it is very serious and..."_

"_And what!?" Zander screamed. _

"_I'm afraid Ms. Quartermaine is not expected to live," Mikkos finished softly. "Her cancer is Stage 4 and her chemotherapy and radiation treatments are having little to no affect."_

_Zander couldn't stop the tears from gathering in his eyes and falling down his tanned cheeks as he turned again to face the water. His soft cries turned quickly into sobs and he fell to his knees. _

"_Emily!" he yelled as his eyes searched the sea for answers. _

_Mikkos' heart ached for his grandson. He reached out and placed a hand gently on Zander's shoulder. _

"_I am sorry," he whispered. _

_Zander slowly stood and wiped his eyes and tried to get his emotions under control. It took many long moments, but when he finally did, he managed to stand. _

_He cleared his throat. "What about…do you…Elizabeth Webber. What about her?"_

_Now Mikkos smiled. "She still safely carries your child."_

_Zander turned around. "Aren't you worried about that kid? What happens if Helena tries to get to…"_

"_As long as you are safely dead, Helena will leave your child alone," Mikkos told him. "That is why you will remain dead to the world. You want to protect your family; you do it by staying away from them."_

_Zander hated the idea of never seeing his mother, his sisters or his child. He wanted nothing more than to jump into the sea and swim home to them. His eyes held tears once more as he gazed out across the water; thoughts of home dancing in his mind._

/

Sam was walking along the docks, her gaze drawn out across the water. She'd spent the past three days since her conversation with Elizabeth thinking a lot about Jason and what he would want for her, and for their son.

"Sam," someone called out.

Sam knew it was Silas before she turned around.

"You haven't returned my calls," he said as he came up to her.

Sam sat down on a bench and looked up at Silas. "I'm sorry, I've been really busy with Danny and helping my mom with Molly and..."

He sat down next to her. "Tell me the truth, Sam. You don't trust me, do you?"

Their eyes met. "I want to, Silas. I really do because I think we have something between us that could be…really good. But…"

"You have questions," he finished. "Would it help if I answer those questions?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, Silas. I don't…nothing makes sense right now. My whole life turned upside down when Jason died and it's never really gone right side up since then."

Silas grasped her hand in his. "I want to be a part of helping you turn it right side up again, Sam; if you'll let me. Please, just…"

Sam pulled away and wiped away a tear that had fallen. She stood and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I…I can't right now, Silas," she told him sadly. "I have to concentrate on my family, my son."

She reached out and rested her hand against his cheek before leaning up and placing a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away slowly and when their eyes met; he saw regret and Sam saw…anger.

Her instincts screaming, she turned and began walking away. She heard footsteps behind her and she ran up the steps that led to the street. She looked back and saw Silas, who had suddenly stopped walking after her. In that moment, she bumped directly into Nathan West.

"Sam?" Nathan asked as he grabbed her arms to steady her. "Are you okay?"

Sam turned around, but Silas was gone. She swallowed deeply and nodded. "Yeah, I'm…I'm fine, just…a little shaken."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Deciding that it was time to listen to what the man had to say, she agreed. They walked the short distance to Kelly's and took seats outside.

/

Carlos had left the Floating Rib with the intent of going to the hospital to visit Julian, but on his way there, he spotted Ava's car with its vanity license plates headed out of Port Charles. On impulse, he turned around and decided to follow her.

He believed that Silas was guilty of attempted murder, but he was just as certain that Ava had something to do with it as well.

And he was going to prove it.


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

/

**One Week Later**

**March 1, 2014**

/

Elizabeth had spent days fielding questions about Zander for Cameron. The youngster was very curious about his biological father. What did he sound like? Did he laugh a lot? Was he happy? Would he have liked his son?

Now, she had agreed to bring Cameron to the cemetery where Zander was buried. Leaves crunched beneath their feet as they walked. They came to a small, unremarkable flat headstone on the grass.

_**Alexander Andrew Lewis**_

_**May 21, 1980—March 24, 2004**_

_**Son, Father and Friend**_

_**Gone; Never Forgotten**_

"His birthday is wrong," Cameron commented after staring at the grave for a few moments.

"What?" Elizabeth asked her son.

Cameron pointed. "Look. If Aunt Sam and my dad were twins, wouldn't their birthday be the same? Aunt Sam said they were born May 11th when I asked her yesterday."

Elizabeth did find it odd that Zander's birthdate was wrong on his headstone. Perhaps it was a typo, but what a mistake to make. She wondered who had paid for the headstone.

"We'll mention it to Sam and Alexis," she told the boy. "Now, you said you wanted to talk to him. Go ahead, sweetheart. I'll be right over there waiting for you. Come get me when you're done."

Cameron nodded as he sat down on the grass. "Hi, Dad, I'm…I'm Cameron. I asked Mom if…if we could come here. I wanted to…to say hi to you since I never have before. I'm almost ten years old now."

Elizabeth was still within earshot and could hear Cam telling his father all about his love of the New York Yankees, how much he hates broccoli and how crazy his little brothers make him.

"I miss you," Cameron said in his soft, still little boy voice. "I wish you were here, Dad. Wish I knew you."

Elizabeth felt tears well up when she heard those words. What she wouldn't give for Zander to be with his son; for her little man to have his father.

Cameron ran his hand over his father's name. He leaned down and whispered. "I love you, Daddy."

He stood and came over to his mother. He took Elizabeth's hand in his. "I'm ready, Mom."

Together they walked from the cemetery.

Neither of them noticed the person behind the trees watching their every movement.

/

"_Silas Clay is bad news," Nathan said to Sam._

"_So you keep telling me," she replied. "Prove it, Detective."_

_Nathan smiled. "Come on. You're having doubts. I can tell. You're a PI, Sam. Use your instincts, your gut. What's it telling you?"_

_She sighed as she ran her hands over her face. "I don't know, that's the problem. I want to believe Silas, I do. I just…don't."_

_Nathan beamed. "See, I knew you were an intelligent woman; smarts to go along with how beautiful you are."_

_Sam blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. Look, I don't want you to think that I'm siding with you."_

_Nathan laughed. "I would never. But, what I would do is tell you this; ask Silas about the day before he found Nina unconscious on the floor of their apartment."_

_Sam was puzzled. "Why?"_

_Nathan stood and tossed a five dollar bill on the table for their drinks. "Just ask him. It's a pretty interesting story; just one more thing he's hiding from you."_

_Sam was left to ponder Nathan's words. What else could Silas have kept from her?_

/

**Port Charles General Hospital**

**ICU**

/

Alexis was sitting in the chair beside Julian's bed. She had one of his hands clasped in hers and a book in the other, which she was reading aloud.

Every day the drugs keeping him in the coma were reduced. His body had done very well. There were no seizures, no additional swelling of his brain. Things were looking very promising.

"When one…" Alexis stopped mid-sentence in shock.

She looked down and watched as Julian's hand flexed in hers. He actually _squeezed_ her hand. She pressed the call button and when the nurse came in, she told her what had happened and asked her to call Patrick.

Less than ten minutes later, Patrick was in the room. "You saw it?"

Alexis nodded. "Saw it and _felt_ it, Patrick. He squeezed my hand."

Patrick took his pen light out and opened each of Julian's eyes. He shined the light and smiled happily when Julian's pupils reacted to the light.

"His pupils are equal and reactive to light," he informed Alexis. "That's a good sign. Keep talking to him. Your voice might be bringing him out sooner. I'm going to decrease his meds again tonight. Within the next two to three weeks, they'll be down to nothing and we'll really see what we have."

Alexis had again taken his hand in hers. "Come on, Julian, squeeze my hand again."

When he didn't, she was disappointed. Patrick rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be discouraged," he told her. "Like I said, keep talking to him. He's still too far under to be able to follow commands as of yet, but I can guarantee he knows you're here."

Patrick left the room and Alexis sat back down. "You can do this, Julian. I know you can. Come back to me."

"Hi, Mom," Alexis suddenly heard from the doorway.

She turned and was stunned to see her middle daughter standing in the doorway.

"Kristina?"

The young woman smiled. "Hi, Mom."

Alexis stood and went to her daughter; pulling Kristina into a tight hug. "What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"

Kristina shrugged. "I talked to Sam earlier. She explained what's been going on. I felt like I needed to be home. So, here I am."

Alexis kissed her cheek as Kristina peeked around her mother's shoulder at Julian. "That's him, huh?

Alexis turned to look at Julian, but not before Kristina saw the tender smile cross her mother's face.

"That's him," she confirmed. "How much did Sam tell you?"

Kristina stepped further into the room behind Alexis. "Pretty much everything, I think; her father being Julian Jerome, how you guys found out, him being Danny's match; the shooting."

Alexis nodded as she offered her middle daughter a seat. "Did she tell you the part about him being a WSB agent?"

Kristina's eyes widened as she shook her head. "No, she left that part out. Wow. So, mobster turned good guy, huh?"

She smirked at her daughter. "Yes, he's a very good guy."

"Sam mentioned Dad, too," Kristina said softly after a few moments of staring at Julian; watching how her mother gently held his hand.

Alexis met her daughter's stare. "What did she tell you?"

Kristina shrugged. "That he was arrested, which surprised me because he usually has a convenient alibi."

Alexis took a deep breath. "Let's go outside into the gardens and talk. There are some things you need to know."

Kristina knew the look on her mother's face. "He's responsible, isn't he? For putting Sam's father here in the hospital? He shot him."

Alexis stood up and held out her hand. "Come on. I don't want to talk about this in here. Patrick seems to think that Julian can hear us, so…"

Kristina took her hand and the two of them walked out of the room.

/

An hour later, Kristina and Alexis were sitting together in the meditation gardens. Tears were streaming down Kristina's cheeks.

"I hate him," she whispered through her tears. "How could he do that?"

Alexis held her daughter tightly as the nineteen-year-old cried. Despite years' worth of Kristina protestations that she didn't need her father, Alexis knew how much her daughter loved Sonny. Now, the last nail had been driven into the coffin of their relationship.

"He's an extremely dysfunctional man, Krissy," she told her daughter softly as she ran her fingers through her long, dark hair.

Kristina wiped her eyes. "Don't try to defend him to me, Mom. You _cant'_. He's a pig!"

Alexis wanted to say something, anything that would comfort her daughter, but she knew there weren't words to make the situation any better. For all his faults and with all of the mistakes and terrible things he'd done, Ric had never come close to the depravity of his brother.

"Where is he?" Kristina questioned.

Alexis shrugged. "He was being held at the PCPD. I don't know if he's still there or not."

She wiped her eyes and cheeks and stood up. "Well, wherever he is, I hope he rots in jail. It's the least he deserves."

Alexis didn't bother to disagree with her. She simply continued to hold her in a tight hug.

/

He'd watched the woman and her daughter exit the hospital room. Once he was sure they were out of sight, he quietly entered the room. He shut the door behind him and walked slowly towards the bed.

He stood staring down at Julian's motionless form for several minutes before he sat down in the chair and began to speak softly.


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

/

"So, Julian Jerome?" Kristina asked Alexis as they two walked slowly around the gardens. "You really do have a thing for bad boys, don't you, Mom?"

Alexis chuckled. "He's not a bad boy. Anymore."

Kristina laughed. "Well, good or bad, if he makes you happy, then I'm happy _for_ you."

"He makes me happy," Alexis confirmed.

"Well, maybe it was meant to be," Kristina reasoned. "I mean, my dad didn't make you happy, Molly's dad didn't either. Jerry was…a disaster. Ned's an okay guy, but I think that he didn't make you happy because he _isn't_ a bad boy. Maybe Sam's dad is who you've always needed; good boy, bad boy status notwithstanding."

Alexis was thoughtful for a few moments. She considered Kristina's words. "Maybe you're right. When did you get so smart?"

The teenager shrugged. "Not sure. It was bound to happen sometime, right? Davis girls have superior intelligence."

Mother and daughter laughed together.

"Speaking of college, what are you doing here?" Alexis asked, knowing Kristina should be in school.

"I told you earlier, I just felt like I should be here," she answered.

"What about your classes?"

Kristina sighed as she sat down on a nearby bench. "I…I don't want to stay at Wesleyan. I arranged to finish up this semester online. I can take my exams via internet and then I'm having my credits transferred to PCU. I've already been accepted for the fall."

Alexis was stunned. Kristina had been so adamant about getting out of Port Charles and away from the Corinthos name.

"Are you sure?" Alexis wanted to know. "With your father's situation and all of the news; the media isn't going to leave you alone."

The girl nodded. "I know. But, I…Mom, I miss home. I miss you. I miss Sam, Molly and Danny. I even miss Dante, Michael and Morgan. I guess it took leaving to realize that Port Charles is home."

"Speaking of brothers, did Sam…?"

Kristina cut her off. She grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "Yeah, she told me about Zander. I'm so sorry, Mom."

Alexis wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek. Thoughts of the baby boy she never knew she'd had and the young man she couldn't save always brought tears.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I'll always miss him, but…life goes on eventually."

"Well, I'm gonna let you get back to Julian," Kristina said. "I have some errands to run. I'll see you at home tonight."

The two shared a tight hug and as Kristina left, Alexis headed back inside to the ICU.

/

Carlos had been following Ava around New York City for a week and she hadn't done anything more significant that buy a few ugly pieces of art in all that time. She'd talked several times to her eighteen-year-old boy toy Morgan Corinthos.

Now, just as he had given up and was ready to make the return trip to Port Charles, he followed Ava one last time. She was headed into Brooklyn and when she stopped in front of a non-descript, not-well taken care of house, he didn't think much of it.

Until he saw who answered the door.

/

"I never thought I'd see you like this, Julian," the man commented. "You were the one everyone protected. You were the strong one. You were gonna change things. But, I guess you did, huh? WSB agent. Nice going, little brother."

"Excuse me?" Alexis demanded from behind the man sitting by Julian's bed. "Who the hell are you?"

The man stood and turned to face Alexis. She looked familiar. He was sure he'd seen her photograph in the local paper recently. Then it dawned on him.

"You're Sonny Corinthos' attorney," he stated, disgust evident in his voice.

Alexis didn't comment. She moved into the room and stood in front of the man. She studied him and realized that he had the same eyes as Julian.

"I'll repeat; who the hell are you?" she said again, calmly.

The man cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Dino. Dino Antoinelli. Julian's my brother."

/

Carlos couldn't believe his eyes. He picked up his cell and immediately called Thomas.

"Thomas, it's Carlos," he said. "Is Dr. Clay still in town?"

"_Ah, no. I've been watching him. Seems he and Julian's daughter had some sort of dust-up. Clay took a leave of absence and left town a few days ago."_

Carlos sighed. "Okay. Thanks, man."

He ended the call and now he knew for certain who he was looking at.

Dr. Silas Clay.

/

"You're supposed to be in prison," Alexis commented as she moved to sit down next to Julian's bedside; not having shaken Dino's hand.

Dino pointed at Julian. "He's supposed to be dead."

"Which brings me to my next questions," Alexis quipped. "How is it that you're _not_ in prison, and how did you discover that he's alive?"

Dino took the chair on Julian's other side and rested his forearms on his thighs. "About six months ago, a man came to see me in prison. Told me his name, showed me some fancy identification badge and asked me what I knew about my cell mate. Turns out what I knew was worthy of a get-out-of-jail free card along with the info that my formerly deceased little brother was actually alive and working for the WSB."

Alexis pondered that for a few moments. "Six months? Why come track down your brother now?"

Dino chuckled; a laugh Alexis recognized as mirroring Julian's. "I don't know, really. I wasn't going to. I'd spent years thinking he was dead and I'm sure as far as he knew, I was gonna be locked up for the rest of my life. He never came to see me and tell me the truth, so I figured why bother. Then I heard the name Sonny Corinthos."

"Sonny made you come here?" she asked, skeptical.

He shook his head. "No, not really. I contacted some old…friends and asked around about him. I know he's scum; drugs, selling little girls for sex, killing indiscriminately."

Alexis smirked. "You're a mobster. Surely you've done some of those things, too."

Dino smiled. "Of course. So has Julian, incidentally, before his walk on the legal side of things. Don't get me wrong, our father wasn't any better than Corinthos. Victor Jerome was no stranger to drugs and sex; not underage girls, though. Trafficking in both makes lots of money. But little brother here, he was different. He wanted to legitimize the business completely. It sort of put him and me at odds a few times."

"Back to Sonny," she then said. "What about him brought you here?"

Dino cleared his throat. "Those friends I mentioned; one of them told me Julian had been shot and it was Sonny Corinthos who shot him. _That's_ what brought me here."

"To correct an earlier statement," she began. "I am no longer Sonny's attorney. Also, he's in jail. He was arrested and will most likely be charged with a slew of crimes ranging from RICO violations to sex and drug trafficking to murder."

"Good," Dino insisted.

"You should know, Sonny _did_ shoot Julian, but it was someone else who fired the shot that hit him in the head."

"Where's that bastard?" Dino wanted to know.

Alexis met his stare over Julian's still body.

"Dead."


	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

/

**Six Weeks Later**

**April 17, 2014**

/

It was early morning in the city. Rays of sunlight were creeping between the partially open blinds of Julian's ICU room. The meds keeping him in his coma had been weaned to nothing the previous week. Julian had begun to show signs of waking within the last two days.

Alexis had Julian's hand in hers when he felt a squeeze of her fingers. She put down the book she was reading and looked at his face. His eyes were fluttering.

"Julian?" Alexis called softly as she bent over him. "Honey, can you hear me?"

Julian's eyes slowly opened. He blinked rapidly; adjusting to the low artificial lights along with the small bit of sunlight.

Alexis pressed the call button and was about to speak again when Lucas and Sam appeared in the doorway.

"Guys, come on in here," she said to them. "Your father is waking up."

Sam and Lucas practically sprinted into the room. Elizabeth came in right after. When she saw Julian's eyes open, she called out to the nurses' station for them to page Patrick.

"_Dr. Patrick Drake, please dial 4188. Dr. Drake, 4188 please."_

"Dad?" Sam called softly as she took clenched his left hand.

Julian hadn't uttered a word, but he did move his head slightly towards the sound of Sam's voice.

"Mr. Jerome, can you look at me please?" Elizabeth questioned.

Julian turned to her. She took out her pen light and checked his eyes. He flinched away at the brightness in his eyes.

Elizabeth smiled. "That's a good sign. Dr. Drake will be here in a few minutes. I'll leave you with your family for now."

"Wh't happn'd," Julian managed to ask, though his speech was badly slurred.

Alexis smoothed his hair back and bent down and softly kissed his lips. She was about to answer him when Patrick stepped into the room.

"Mr. Jerome, good to see you awake," he said. "Can you tell me your name? Your full name?"

"Ju'lan Vic'r," he answered as best as he could.

Patrick then did a neurological exam. "Well, obviously his speech is slurred and his motor functions are quite slow. Julian, can you tell me on a scale from one to ten, what your pain is?"

Julian tried to lift his left arm and couldn't. Alexis saw anger flare in his dark eyes. She rubbed soothing circles on his hand, trying to calm him.

"Two," he finally answered.

For several more moments, while Alexis, Sam and Lucas looked on, Patrick conducted exams, asked questions and poked and prodded Julian.

"Wh't happn'd to me?" he asked again.

Patrick cleared his throat. "You were shot five times. One of the bullets entered your head. You've been in a medically induced coma for some weeks to let your brain heal. What your body needs now is to rest and continue to heal. I'll come check on you again later this evening."

He stepped out of the room and was met by Elizabeth. "How is he?"

Patrick shrugged and let out a sigh. "His speech is slurred. His motor functions are seriously lagging. His vision is blurry in both eyes; worse in his left obviously. There appear to be some gaps in his memory. He seemed to notice that Alexis was holding his hand because he saw her reach for him, but he didn't seem to have any clue that Lucas was touching his foot."

"Touch sensation," Elizabeth murmured.

They continued to talk quietly about Julian's condition while Alexis, Sam and Lucas stayed in the room.

/

"Can I get you anything?" Alexis asked him.

"Wa'er," Julian answered.

Lucas was closest to the water. He grabbed Julian's cup and poured some water before handing it to Alexis. She helped him sit up a bit straighter and put the cup to his lips. He took a few sips and leaned his head back carefully.

"Lus," he said, trying to get out Lucas' name, but unable to make it come out right.

Lucas stepped forward. "I'm here."

Again, Julian tried to lift his left arm but could not. Lucas reached down and grasped Julian's hand in his own. He gave his father a small smile.

"You're gonna be okay," Lucas told him. "We'll all be here to help you."

Alexis and Sam saw Julian visibly relax and Lucas' words. Julian was agitated and Alexis suspected at least some of that was due to his brain injury. They all knew things would not be easy, but as long as Julian was finally awake, hope had been reborn.

Alexis leaned down and kissed him. "I love you."

He managed a tiny smile. "Love to."

Sam felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched her parents. Lucas wrapped his arm around his sister and pulled her against him.

"He's gonna be okay, big sister," he whispered as he placed a soft kiss at her temple.

"Tired," Julian breathed as he closed his eyes.

"Close your eyes, baby," Alexis whispered into his ear. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Hey, Lexie, I brought…" Dino called as he stormed into the room.

Julian's eyes snapped open.

Sam and Lucas unconsciously took several steps back as their father and uncle came face to face after more than twenty years.

/

**Same Time **

**PCPD**

/

Carlos had spent the last six weeks, after having arrested Ava and Silas for the attempted murder of Nina Clay trying to get them to talk. Silas kept insisting he was innocent and that he was being framed by Ava. Ava kept insisting she had no idea what was going on; that she had never even met Nina Clay and certainly hadn't wanted to kill the woman, despite her affair with Silas.

"Come on, Ava," he said as he sat on a chair in front of her cell. "Tell me the truth. I'll get you a good deal. Maybe you even walk out of here, free and clear."

Ava shook her head. "Why should I believe a word you say, Carlos? You've been on the other side the entire time; a cop. Just wait until Julian wakes up and finds out you've betrayed him. He's going to kill you."

Carlos smirked. "We'll see about that. Let me show you something that might change your mind about talking to me."

He got up and went to retrieve the domestic violence reports Thomas had given him. When he came back, he handed them through the bars to Ava.

"Read those," he ordered. "You might be surprised, but something tells me you already know this info and it's a big part of why you kept Kiki a secret for so many years."

Ava read the reports. As Carlos suggested, she wasn't all that surprised. She'd known for years that Silas had a mean streak and it was the main reason she'd kept Kiki's existence from him for so long. But she hadn't known that his wife had actually filed police reports.

"What your point?" she finally asked.

Carlos sighed. "Look, Ava, you've got two choices. You can help me and tell me what you know about what happened to Nina Clay, or you can spend the rest of your life locked up. It's all up to you."

"You can't keep me locked up in here," Ava boasted. "I know my rights. Charge me, or let me go."

Carlos stood again and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out several folded pieces of paper and handed them to her.

"Those papers say I can do whatever I want," he told her. "I'm not _just_ a cop, Ava."

She began reading and he knew the instant she came to the good part. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She looked up at him.

"You're a WSB agent?"

Carlos nodded. "Sure am; for a very long time."

"Julian's _definitely_ going to kill you when he wakes up," she decided.

"I seriously doubt that," Carlos told her, playing his next card. "See, Julian _is_ my boss, Ava. I've only been following his orders."

He let Ava ponder his meaning for a few moments. "Come on, Ava, are you really going to protect Silas Clay? Is he really worth so much to you? What about your little boy toy, Morgan Corinthos? Where does he fit in?"

"Don't you _dare_ mention Morgan," she snapped.

"Ah, touched a nerve, I see," Carlos commented. "Well, that's the other part of this for you. You've been a bad girl, Ava; trying to resurrect the Jerome crime family. You've ordered murders, committed some yourself. You've brought an innocent boy into your life where he might get caught in the crossfire."

Ava lunged at Carlos, her hands reaching through the bars trying to grab him. "Are you threatening Morgan?"

Carlos shrugged. "Would I do that? I'm a WSB agent and so is your brother, Ava. We're the good guys, we don't threaten children. Now, I have to go visit your brother. I want you to sit here and think really hard about how much Silas actually means to you."

With that, he got up and walked away, leaving Ava to her thoughts.

/

Dino nearly dropped the food in his hands when he saw Julian's eyes open. Sam's quick actions prevented an accident.

Dino took a deep breath and several careful, slow steps towards Julian until he was standing next to him on his right side.

"Long time, no see, little brother," he said softly.

"You supp'sd be in…"

Alexis and Dino laughed out loud. "I know, I'm supposed to be in prison. It's a long story. Now that you're awake, we can talk about it."

Julian only managed a small nod. His eyes dropped closed again almost immediately. He was still so weak; his body tired.

"Maybe we should go," Sam suggested. "Let Dad sleep."

Alexis shook her head. "No, you guys stay, too. He's going to need his family. We all need to be here for him when he wakes up. The easy part is over; he's awake. Now comes the hard part; his recovery."

/

**Same Time**

**Kelly's Diner**

/

"What can I get you?" a waitress asked.

"What's good here?" the man asked.

She smiled. "New in town, huh?"

He shook his head. "Not really, just…haven't been here in a long time. The chili used to be pretty good."

"Still is," she told him as she held out her hand. "I'm Natalie."

The man smiled as he took her hand. "You can call me Alex."


End file.
